Climate activists in London shift site but keep up protests

Climate protesters in London plan to keep up their campaign despite being ousted by a police order from their Trafalgar Square encampment. The Metropolitan Police had said Extinction Rebellion protesters and their tents must leave the square by Monday evening. The force said it was a “proportionate and reasonable” move to end a major disruption. More than 1,400 people have been arrested since the group began blocking roads, bridges and airports in London a week ago to demand faster action on climate change. Most have been released without being charged.

Group let the old site go

Extinction Rebellion said Tuesday it had “let the Trafalgar Square site go,” but “the international rebellion continues.” The police action was condemned by activists including Green Party legislator Caroline Lucas, who called it a “huge over-reach of police power” that violated the right to peaceful protest. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the ban became necessary because protesters had repeatedly violated commitments to limit the demonstration to the Trafalgar Square neighborhood in central London.

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“This was an operational policing decision to help us get London moving again,” he said. “After nine days of disruption we felt it is entirely proportionate and reasonable to impose this condition because of the cumulative impact of these protests.”

He said police will take “robust action” against anyone participating in unlawful protests. On Tuesday, a member of the group climbed atop an entrance to the Department for Transport to protest the downing of trees for a high-speed rail project. London police say some arrests were made at the government agency, but didn’t immediately provide further details.

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Protest outside Transport building

Hundreds of climate change activists camped out in central London on Tuesday during a second day of world protests by the Extinction Rebellion movement to demand more urgent actions to counter global warming. Determined activists glued themselves to the British government’s Department of Transport building as police working to keep streets clear appealed to protesters to move to Trafalgar Square. Cities in Australia, elsewhere in Europe and other parts of the world also had climate change protests for a second day. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appealed Monday to the protesters to stop blocking London’s streets. He called the activists “uncooperative crusties” who should abandon their “hemp-smelling bivouacs.” Mike Gumn, 33, a National Health Service manager with two children, said he used a day of annual leave so he could attend the demonstration. Gumn, of Bristol, took umbrage at Johnson’s characterization of climate change activists as “hippies.”

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