Dozens of the activists were filmed sitting on the pavement and holding hands. A large police contingent was deployed to the scene to unglue them, with the numbers of the officers soon exceeding those of the demonstrators.
Several people were arrested, according to Reuters.
The climate activists also parked a livestock truck outside the Department of Health. The vehicle had pink signs reading, “Animal Farming = Pandemics and Climate Crisis,” attached to its sides.
The theatrical acts of civil disobedience are part of 10 days of protests to “peacefully disrupt the UK Parliament in London,” earlier announced by Extinction Rebellion. The group is pushing for lawmakers to back the ‘Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill’ which, the activists insist, would force the British government to “[account] for our entire carbon footprint while actively conserving nature here and overseas.”
On Tuesday, Extinction Rebellion organized two large marches in London and Manchester, which saw more than 90 activists detained.
On Tuesday, Extinction Rebellion organized two large marches in London and Manchester, which saw more than 90 activists detained.