Extinction Rebellion London protest: Activists reveal plans to 'shut down' capital from next week with biggest demonstration yet

Extinction Rebellion activists at a protest in London earlier this year
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Extinction Rebellion has called on protesters to shut down central London from next week until the UK Government takes action on the climate and ecological emergency.

The activist group plans to “peacefully shut down Westminster” from October 7 for around two weeks or “as long as it takes” until politicians start outlining plans to tackle the environmental crisis.

The group also aims to shut down roads and stage a sit-in at London City Airport, among other demonstrations..

“Take two weeks off work, bring your family and friends and join us in the streets for a one time only ‘chance of life’”, it states on its website.

“We cannot do this alone, everybody counts and we need everyone to join us, now.”

Next week’s protests are part of an "international rebellion" which aims to cause nonviolent disruption in 60 cities across the world.

It comes after eight Extinction Rebellion demonstrators were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of criminal damage after they sprayed the Treasury in central London with fake blood.

The Met Police said five men aged between 34 and 83 and three women aged between 34 and 60 were arrested.

The fire engine used to spray the bright red liquid was seized and removed.

At a media briefing on next week’s action, representatives said they planned to shut the streets leading to Westminster, targeting sites including Lambeth and Westminster Bridges and Trafalgar Square.

Protests will also be held outside government departments, urging MPS to come up with proposals to tackle the climate emergency.

The demonstrations will include processions, marches and a peaceful sit-in at City Airport where they will aim to hold the space for three days.

The protesters may also hold a silent vigil to mark a lack of action in the Queen's Speech on October 14, or to try to shut it down.

Extinction Rebellion demonstrate at the Treasury Building

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Extinction Rebellion spokesman Joel Scott-Halkes said: "We are going to the Government and specifically what we're going to do is sit down peacefully in the roads.

"We're going to blockade and shut down every single road going into the central area of Westminster around the UK Government.

"We are going to very loudly, very clearly, very respectfully say that if a government is taking its people towards extinction, it is not a government anymore that we respect."

Another spokesman Robin Boardman, 21, said it could be five times bigger than the protests which brought major disruption to London in April and saw more than 1,100 arrests.

As many as 20,000 to 30,000 people could be involved this time, he said.

Extinction Rebellion closing ceremony: In Pictures

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Met Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave warned of the strain protests would put on the police force.

But Mr Boardman said the protests were not about the police. "It's about putting pressure on the Government," he said.

Major events are also planned around the world in Australia, in Europe - in Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam - and in the US in New York and Washington DC.

The group, also known as XR, is calling on the Government to declare a climate and ecological emergency.

It wants immediate steps put in place to halt wildlife loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

Earlier in the year, Parliament passed a law to cut emissions to net zero by 2050, 25 years later than the activists are demanding.

Mr Boardman said: "Right now we're looking at a disastrous situation which demands so much radical action. It doesn't demand the piecemeal action we're currently seeing across the world.

"It needs radical change to our system because currently what we're looking at is accelerating destruction, ecosystems across the world being wiped out at rates that are rapidly increasing.

"It highlights we are in a system that is criminally failing us, a system, economically, that cannot handle what is happening, it needs change in a dramatic way."

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