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Extinction Rebellion: protesters to offer to 'pause' climate action Extinction Rebellion: police to forcibly clear protesters from London sites
(about 1 hour later)
Climate change protesters who have stopped traffic in a series of peaceful demonstrations across London will offer to vacate some sites in exchange for the mayor, Sadiq Khan, acting on some of their demands. Police are planning to forcibly clear Extinction Rebellion protesters from Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square as the group debated whether to continue its campaign of mass civil disobedience into next week.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) said it would “pause” its demonstrations in an attempt to achieve its political aims as it enters the second week of its campaign to have the government declare a climate emergency, reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025 and establish a citizens’ assembly to devise an emergency plan of action. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the disruption was being “counter-productive” to the cause of climate change and was stretching police resources so much it could damage their ability to fight violent crime.
Farhana Yamin, the group’s political circle coordinator, said: “Today marks a transition from week one, which focused on actions that were vision-holding but also caused mass disruption across many dimensions – economic, cultural, emotional, social. Week two marks a new phase of rebellion focused on negotiations where the focus will shift to our actual political demands.” Extinction Rebellion said it expected its supporters would be cleared out of two sites occupied without permission as police prepared to evict them if they decline to leave voluntarily.
She added: “We want to show that XR is a cohesive long-term, global force, not some flash in the pan. We can do that by showing we are disciplined and cannot only start disruptive actions but also end these when needed. Last week, the group gained global coverage for the disruption its tactics of civil disobedience caused in central London.
“This will give XR leverage as we enter into negotiations with those in power to make headway on our three demands.” On Sunday, the organisers said they intended to change tack and would offer to vacate some sites in exchange for the mayor acting on some of their demands.
The group hopes to negotiate with Khan and the Metropolitan police to agree that it be allowed to continue the protest at Old Palace Yard in Westminster and leave other sites. The Metropolitan police said they had made 831 arrests and charged 42 people. The force’s leader, Cressida Dick, said the group’s tactics, centred on peaceful direct action, had caused too much disruption.
Over the past week protesters have stopped traffic in Oxford Circus, set up camp in Marble Arch and created a temporary garden on Waterloo Bridge. On Saturday, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus were returned to normal use, after complaints from businesses about the blocking of some of the capital’s key arteries.
Members would commit to not disrupting other areas in exchange for Khan speeding up the implementation of the declaration of climate and ecological emergency and considering setting up a London citizens’ assembly. On Sunday, activists rushed to Parliament Square, when police turned up in force to try to clear five roadblocks. Activists were using lock-on devices to hold the space, as well as supergluing themselves to the ground and each other in order to slow down the police.
It will also set up a political taskforce to take forward public negotiations with the government, warning it is prepared to scale up action depending on how much progress is made. Activists said there were three people locked on trees in the square with more ready to go up. They promised attempts to evict them would be “spectacular” and could take police all night.
The announcement comes on the seventh day of the protests, with the teenager who inspired the climate change school strikes due to join crowds later on Easter Sunday. Greta Thunberg was expected to address Extinction Rebellion members before meeting senior British politicians next week. The stage-truck on Waterloo Bridge was finally removed by 5am on Sunday after police spent most of Saturday and well into the night removing protesters glued and locked on to it. Police spent hours using angle grinders to cut free the two protesters who had locked themselves down on the top of truck, before winching them down and carrying them into the back of waiting police vans.
The 16-year-old Swedish activist has already met Pope Francis and spoken at the European parliament. The Met said: “Conditions currently remain in Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square and officers are working hard to reopen these areas as soon as possible so that the area can be returned to normality.
The Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, said the policing operation had been unlike any she had experienced in almost four decades of policing, and called for the “miserable” disruption to end. “We remain in frequent contact with the organisers to ensure that the serious disruption to Londoners is brought to a close as soon as possible and that only lawful and peaceful protests continue.”
Hundreds of officers from other forces have been drafted in to help quell the ongoing disruption and more than 750 peaceful activists have been arrested in less than a week. The Met has needed support from about 200 officers from other forces to deal with the protests, which have been peaceful.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said more than 9,000 police officers had been responding to the protests, which had proved “extremely challenging for our over-stretched and under-resourced police”. Sadiq Khan said 9,000 officers had been involved in policing the protest so far. He said: “I share the passion about tackling climate change of those protesting, and support the democratic right to peaceful and lawful protest, but this is now taking a real toll on our city – our communities, businesses and police. This is counter-productive to the cause and our city.”
Insisting “I share the passion about tackling climate change of those protesting,” he added: “I’m extremely concerned about the impact the protests are having on our ability to tackle issues like violent crime if they continue any longer. It simply isn’t right to put Londoners’ safety at risk like this. The mayor added: “I remain in close contact with the Met commissioner, and agree that Londoners have suffered too much disruption and that the policing operation has been extremely challenging for our over-stretched and under-resourced police.
“My message to all protesters today is clear: you must now let London return to business as usual.” “I’m extremely concerned about the impact the protests are having on our ability to tackle issues like violent crime if they continue any longer. It simply isn’t right to put Londoners’ safety at risk like this.”
Later on Sunday, police had to administer emergency CPR after a man collapsed on Waterloo Bridge. It was not clear whether he was part of the protest, one witness said. The group said a phalanx of police vans were gathered around Waterloo Bridge on Sunday amid mounting expectation protesters would be forced out.
Ronan McNern a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, said: “We think they want everything cleared by the end of the week. People are willing to be arrested. There is a deep sense we do not want to be attached to any single site.
“What this disruption is doing, we are the news now. “It is making people talk in pubs and buses about Extinction Rebellion. It makes them think about their existence which is under threat.”
Extinction Rebellion is discussing withdrawing from some sites in return for remaining in others and their demands being met.
One manifesto from Farhana Yamin, a lawyer, advocated a “pause” next week in disruption to better project their demands and press for negotiations with government.
She wrote: “Today marks a transition from week one, which focused on actions that were vision-holding but also caused mass ‘disruption’ across many dimensions (economic, cultural, emotional, social). Week two marks a new phase of rebellion focused on ‘negotiations’ where the focus will shift to our actual political demands.”
She continued: “We want to show that XR is a cohesive long-term, global force, not some flash in the pan.”
Others in the group’s leadership were planning further disruption and a meeting this week will attempt to decide on the group’s strategy.
On Sunday, at the Marble Arch site where protesters are allowed to gather, Extinction Rebellion is planing a concert by Massive Attack sound system, who will be introduced by the environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
Extinction RebellionExtinction Rebellion
LondonLondon
Climate changeClimate change
Environmental activismEnvironmental activism
ProtestProtest
Green politicsGreen politics
Sadiq KhanSadiq Khan
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