By Ben Kerrigan-
The second day of Extinction Rebellion’s mass protest in London is underway, as police issued a warning over occupied roads in Westminster.
“Protesters are blocking roads around Parliament Street and Whitehall,” Metropolitan Police said in a tweet, adding they had “officers on scene” working to minimise the disruption to traffic.
Overnight, officers continued efforts to clear demonstrators from Covent Garden’s Long Acre junction, where a giant pink 4m-high ‘crisis talks’ table was erected on on Monday. Roads are beginning to be reopened now, and the structure has been dismantled, despite XR members locking their arms inside it.
Over 50 arrests were made yesterday, police confirmed, in addition to the 10 arrests made at pre-launch festivities on Sunday night.
The newly-launched Impossible Rebellion protest will see XR protesters take over central London for almost two weeks.
On Monday, activists from the group chained themselves together to block the roundabout at Long Acre as a van pulled up with a pink table structure. It was quickly assembled and hundreds of other activists streamed to the roundabout.
Activists said the 4 metre-high structure, emblazoned with the slogan “Come to the table”, will stay in place for the duration of Extinction Rebellion’s planned fortnight of protest, which the group has said will target the City of London to highlight the role of high finance in the climate crisis.
On Monday evening officers were continuing to remove demonstrators from under vehicles in Garrick Street.Scotland Yard said a “significant” operation would be put in place to manage the protests over the busy bank holiday weekend, but acknowledged the activists’ “important cause”.
It later confirmed that as of 10.15pm on Monday some 52 arrests had been made for a “variety” of offences. The force added that 10 arrests were made on Sunday.
Police detain protestor who tries to resist arrest Image: PA
In a statement ahead of the protests Extinction Rebellion – which has gained support of celebrities including comedian Stephen Fry and actor Jerome Flynn – said they would “target the root cause of the climate and ecological crisis – the political economy”.
Yesterday evening, police announced imposed conditions on the protest under section 14 of the Public Order Act. As reggae played from a mobile sound system. The order was shared via social media, and signed by Wayne Matthews who said he believed the assembly “may result in serious disruption to the community”.
XR protesters targeted for arrest responded by lying supine on the floor, forcing police to use four officers to carry away each protester. By 8.30pm a small nucleus of protesters remained around the table structure. Police later said they had made 52 arrests in relation to the protest.
Demonstrations are scheduled in central locations including St James’ Park and Piccadilly Circus throughout the week, and set to be spread across North, West and South London, as they continue for a fortnight.
Gail Bradbrook, Extinction Rebellion co-founder, said: “Our leaders in Government and Business have been failing us for years, they are taking us over a cliff.
“If they are in any way serious about tackling this existential crisis then they would immediately stop financing fossil fuels, because continuing to pour petrol on a fire is an obvious sign of insanity.
“Why don’t they act? They are wedded to a corrupt political economy, centred in the City of London, that extracts vast profits from communities and nature, and depends on destructive economic growth for its survival.
“We need to tell the truth, humanity has to change course, we have no choice.”