Extinction Rebellion Lewisham: London roads blocked off by climate change activists in major rush-hour protest

Olivia Tobin14 June 2019

Extinction Rebellion protesters stopped traffic on major roads in south-east London as they launched a rush-hour protest over air quality.

The Lewisham branch of the protest group staged three sit-ins on the South Circular, the A21 and A2,holding up traffic for seven minutes at a time.

The climate change activists said the demonstration was to bring attention to the dangerous levels of air pollution in London.

The rush-hour disruption lasted from 7.30am till 9am, with protesters warning drivers heading towards central London they would be delayed specifically in Catford, near Lewisham Station and in Deptford.

Extinction Rebellion in South London - In pictures

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The protest is expected to be the first in a series of disruptive actions by Extinction Rebellion Lewisham as part of a campaign called ‘Let Lewisham Breathe’.

Several young people could be seen demonstrating during the protest on Friday morning.

Protesters handed out leaflets and cake to apologise for the disruption caused to drivers and passengers on a main route into central London.

@XRLewisham

Witnesses reported seeing activists blocking roads in Catford, with "some drivers getting angry" at the disruption.

Harry Gibson, 35, was taking part in the action at Lewisham station. He believes stopping commuters is a small price to pay for raising awareness of climate change.

He said: "The environment catastrophe will far outweigh the damage caused by a few roadblocks on a Friday morning."

Mr Gibson, who also took part in the bridge blockades in central London in April, added: "The planet's not going to last, it's not protected with the way that we're going.

Activists in Catford
PA

"We need to look to the future for future generations."

A 13-year-old protester, Freya, said: “I’m here because lots of people don’t care. Most adults don’t listen to the children. They can’t stop polluting. This is the only way to make change.”

The campaign group claimed 50 people were in attendance this morning.

PA

Transport for London warned drivers and bus users to use alternative routes during their rush-hour commute while the demonstration took place.

Schoolchildren who were looking to sit GCSE exams took to social media to express their frustrations at having to take longer routes to school.

One student wrote: "Lots of people (including myself) travel outside of Lewisham to get to school...I left way earlier than usual and I'm still only going to make my exam by about 5 mins because no buses are running."

Another pupil wrote a message to the group, saying: "Extinction Rebellion are you doing protests in Lewisham tomorrow? You do realise this is my last GCSE exam and you are going to prevent me from getting to it.

"Do you know how hard I've worked? You would hate if if people stopped you getting to your O-levels."

@XRLewisham

Leaflets handed out by campaigners in Lewisham read: "Lewisham has committed to zero CO2 emissions by 2030, and road traffic is the biggest cause of greenhouse gases in the UK, with over 125m tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere last year.

Alex Lentati

"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused, but with 11 years left to phase out our reliance on fossil fuels, we must act now to persuade Lewisham Council and the UK government to put policies in place to give future generations hope and survival."

Some witnesses hit out at the group and claimed the demonstration was causing pollution, however.

PA

One person wrote on Twitter: "Because of Extinction Revellion there are currently over 20 buses in Lewisham that ar stuck, all whilst leaving their engines running. Bit ironic."

Another wrote: "Let Lewisham breathe protestors, blocking the junction, holding up traffic. Causing engines to run longer, drivers to get road rage meaning more aggressive driving and public transport buses to make people late and therefore need Ubers? Logical."

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard, which faced criticism for failing to clampdown on Extinction Rebellion protests in central London in April, said: “We are aware of a demonstration planned to take place in Lewisham tomorrow.

“A proportionate policing plan is in place and officers are ready to respond to any incidents that may arise.”

Lewisham Councillor Sophie McGeevor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “As one of the first councils in the country to declare a climate emergency, we share the same goal as Extinction Rebellion – to save the planet and clean up our air.

"We understand that without action the planet is heading towards a climate catastrophe.

"We are taking bold action to improve air quality whether that is: supporting the ULEZ and campaigning for it include the whole borough, investing in cycling and walking infrastructure, proposing to make the most polluting vehicles pay more for parking, installing green walls outside schools, increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations, or investing in Lewisham’s award winning green spaces.

"We want to go further and faster to meet this challenge, but with local government having gone through nearly a decade of austerity we need central government support to do so.”

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