122 arrested as Extinction Rebellion activists chain themselves to lorry on day two of climate protests

Megan White17 April 2019

The number of people arrested in two days of climate change protests in London rose to 122 today, as environmental activists chained themselves to a lorry on Waterloo Bridge.

Extinction Rebellion activists occupied the bridge overnight, stationing themselves under the lorry with blankets and sleeping bags, where they say they will stay for as long as possible.

Blythe Pepino, 34, locked herself to the underside of the lorry, and said the protesters have been “put in a position” where that is the sort of drastic action they must take.

The Met Police said the demonstrations were causing "serious disruptions to Londoners who wish to go about their daily business" and added that they are expecting the protests to continue "throughout the coming weeks."

In a statement Scotland Yard said half a million people had been affected by the demonstrations.

Ms Pepino (right) has been chained to the lorry since Monday night
AFP/Getty Images

Ms Pepino, from Hereford, told LBC's Nick Ferrari: “It’s absolutely awful that we are having to be in this situation in order to get the message out that there is a security crisis for the people in this country.

“It’s here, it’s happening, and the government is not managing this situation.

“I’m horrified that we have to be doing this, it’s really horrible. I’m quite uncomfortable actually, I’m attached with a lock to the bottom of the lorry because the lorry was really important to stop the bridge being retaken.

“Yes, we do understand that disruption is horrible for the people of London, but we’ve been put in a situation where we have to create this disruption to get our point across.

“If people had been listening to what climate activists and the scientific community had been saying for the past 30 years then perhaps we would have been able to handle this in a more managed way.”

Protesters continued to occupy the bridge on Tuesday
AFP/Getty Images

She added: "The purpose is to maintain the disruption on the bridge to bring the Government to the table and talk about the climate crisis.

"I think we'll be taken more seriously over time because we're not planning on going away.

"Legal marches come and go and there's not much action or coverage on it, civil disobedience is the only way to bring urgency."

Five of those arrested - three men and two women - were held on suspicion of criminal damage after protesters vandalised Shell's headquarters on Monday.

Speaking on Tuesday, Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove said: “We have officers out on the ground engaging with protestors and local communities to ensure proportionate policing plans are in place.

The group continued to block Oxford Circus
AFP/Getty Images

“We need to ensure we are striking the right balance between allowing the right to a peaceful protest, while ensuring disruption to communities is kept to a minimum."

He added: “At this time, ongoing demonstrations are causing serious disruptions to public transport, local businesses and Londoners who wish to go about their daily business.

“As such a 24 hour condition was imposed at 6.55pm last night which stipulated that protestors should continue any demonstrations within the Marble Arch area only.

“In order to impose this condition, the Met required evidence that serious disruption was being caused to communities in London. We so far have 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected as a result."

Protesters have set up camp near Marble Arch
PA

Police have made a total of 122 arrests, the statement said.

It added: "Five of which were for criminal damage following a disruption outside a commercial premises and the remaining 117 were made on Waterloo Bridge last night and in the early hours of this morning. The majority of these arrests were made for breaching Section 14 of the Public order Act 1986 and obstructing a highway. All remain in custody at this time.

“We expect demonstrations to continue throughout the coming weeks. We have significant resources in place to deal with any incidents that may arise and officers out on the ground who are well trained in maintaining public order.”

Extinction Rebellion said it aimed to cause more than £6,000 of damage so they could be tried by a jury in Crown Court

Extinction Rebellion protest 2019 - In pictures

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The campaign group said that "over 100 brave rebels" had been arrested, some willingly.

Ben Moss, 42, from Islington, also glued himself to the bars of the lorry at midnight on Tuesday morning.

He said: "We're in an extreme situation, we have to take action, this is my personal action to the moral issue of the climate crisis and ecological collapse.

"I'm doing this because I want the Government to do something.

"I've got a week off work, if more is necessary I can make my excuses, I'm a director of a company, I work at a co-operative, but not everyone can come and do this."

He added: "I want to give this the time necessary, we need action, this will create attention."

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