500,000 People Impacted As Extinction Rebellion Activists Close Roads Across London

16 April 2019, 12:42 | Updated: 16 April 2019, 13:53

Climate change protesters have brought parts of London to a standstill for the second day in a row. Police report that 122 demonstrators have been arrested.

Protesters from the Extinction Rebellion group have taken to London's streets for a second day to demand that the government reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025.

Police have said that in order to impose conditions on the demonstration they required evidence that serious disruption was being caused to communities in London.

Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove said: "We so far have 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected as a result. Based on the information and intelligence available at the time, we are satisfied that this threshold has been met and this course of action is necessary in order to prevent ongoing serious disruptions to communities."

“We are taking positive action against those who are choosing to ignore this condition and are continuing to demonstrate in other areas across London.

The group held five sites overnight, with protesters on Waterloo Bridge attaching themselves to a lorry to prevent police from being able to move them.

On Monday police confirmed that 122 protesters had been arrested over the previous 24 hours, mostly on suspicion of blocking roads, but five of the arrests were for allegedly causing criminal damage to the London office of energy firm Shell.

The group have said that they aim to shut London down for two weeks.

Transport for London have said that said that Marble Arch remains blocked. With heavy traffic in the area with southbound tailbacks on Edgware Road from Seymour Street to beyond Marylebone Flyover.