Extinction Rebellion: Police Warning As Climate Protesters Plan Tube Chaos
16 April 2019, 18:00 | Updated: 17 April 2019, 07:09
Police are warning Londoners to check before they travel on Wednesday as climate protesters threaten to bring the London Underground to a standstill.
Campaigners are planning to disrupt Tube services on Wednesday as part of a series of climate change protests which have led to nearly 300 people being arrested in London.
Demonstrators from the Extinction Rebellion group caused another day of disruption across the capital on Tuesday.
The group are staging days of protests calling for action on climate change.
The protests have led to road closures, traffic gridlock and serious disruption to public transport and local businesses, with 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected.
Now, demonstrators say they will “non-violently disrupt Tube services” on Wednesday “to highlight the emergency of ecological collapse”.
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“The disruption is necessary to protect lives in the long term. Not just ours, but our children’s and grandchildren’s,” a statement on Extinction Rebellion’s website read.
“Participants will peacefully break the law in order to stop the Tube and then will wait to be arrested.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "extremely concerned" about their plans.
“Targeting public transport in this way would only damage the cause of all of us who want to tackle climate change,” Mr Khan said.
Chief superintendent Colin Wingrove told LBC Londoners should check before they travel.
“There is policing plan in place which British Transport Police are working with us and Transport for London,” he said.
“My message would be check your journey. The plan will be to minimise the disruption caused.
“Transport for London and the British Transport Police are working really hard with us to achieve that so people can about their daily lives.”
