Home UK Climate change activists turn on Government after almost 1,000 arrests

Climate change activists turn on Government after almost 1,000 arrests

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Extinction Rebellion protesters have left the streets after seven days of disruption to raise awareness of climate change (Picture: PA)

Extinction Rebellion protesters have left the streets after seven days of disruption to raise awareness of climate change (Picture: PA)

Almost 1,000 people were arrested during a seven-day protest over climate change that saw major London landmarks and airports targeted.

Extinction Rebellion demonstrators have said they are entering a second week of protests but instead of taking to the streets, they are turning their attentions on persuading the Government to make changes.

Olympic gold medallist Etienne Stott was among the activists arrested on Waterloo Bridge as police cleared the final protesters away on Sunday evening.

Pictures showed Stott, 39, being carried away by four police officers in London as he shouted about the global ecological crisis.

Earlier this week, the Olympian tweeted about the David Attenborough programme on climate change, saying people must act now.

This could be one of the most important TV programmes in the entire history of mankind, he wrote.

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Police remove Extinction Rebellion demonstrators from Waterloo Bridge in London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday April 21, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

The last demonstrators leave Waterloo Bridge on Sunday night (Picture: PA)

Police remove an Extinction Rebellion demonstrator who has glued his hand to the road on Waterloo Bridge in London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday April 21, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

One Extinction Rebellion demonstrator was arrested after he had glued his hand to the road (Picture: PA)

He also tweeted praise for Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate change activist who spurred worldwide school strikes to raise awareness.

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The 16-year-old joined protesters in London after travelling by train for two days and was met with cheers as she told a crowd of hundreds that humanity was at a crossroads.

Activists have stopped traffic in a series of demonstrations across London since Monday with actions including fixing a boat at the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, occupying Waterloo Bridge and disrupting the Docklands Light Railway by climbing on a train.

A total of 963 people had been arrested as of 7pm on Sunday while 40 have been charged in connection with the XR protests, the Met Police said.

Members of Extinction Rebellion are suggesting temporarily ending disruptive tactics to focus on political negotiations as they enter the eighth day of campaigning.

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Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg (C) speaks at the Extinction Rebellion group's environmental protest camp at Marble Arch in London on April 21, 2019, on the seventh day of the group's protest calling for political change to combat climate change. - Climate change protesters who have brought parts of London to a standstill said Sunday they were prepared to call a halt if the British government will discuss their demands. Some 831 arrests have been made and 42 people charged in connection with the ongoing Extinction Rebellion protests. On the seventh day of demonstrations that have occupied key spots in the British capital, organisers said they were willing to switch tactics from disruption to dialogue. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images

Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg speaks to hundreds at the Extinction Rebellion groups environmental protest camp at Marble Arch (Picture: AFP/Getty)

A spokesman said there would be no escalation of activity on Bank Holiday Monday, but warned that the disruption could get much worse if politicians were not open to their negotiation requests.

The group will no longer hold a picnic on the Westway by Edgware Road Underground station, which would have stopped traffic on the busy A-road on the last day of the long Easter weekend.

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Instead, at Marble Arch, the only police-sanctioned protest space, activists will meet to vision whats going to happen in the coming week, an Extinction Rebellion member said.

Earlier on Sunday, in what the group later said was an internal memo intended to garner feedback from members, Farhana Yamin, the groups political circle co-ordinator, said the group would shift tactics to focus on political demands.

She added: Being able to “pause” a rebellion shows that we are organised and a long-term political force to be reckoned with.

Police remove Extinction Rebellion demonstrators from Waterloo Bridge in London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday April 21, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Drawings left behind on Waterloo Bridge after demonstrators left (Picture: PA)

A glue handprint left on Waterloo Bridge in London after police removed Extinction Rebellion demonstrators. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday April 21, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo c</br><a href=https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/22/climate-change-activists-turn-government-almost-1000-arrests-9283294/><strong>Read More – Source</strong></a></p>
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