- Title: Climate change activists block traffic in central London
- Date: 7th October 2019
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 7, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS LYING ON GROUND BLOCKING ROAD IN WESTMINSTER / POLICE OFFICERS TALKING TO ONE PROTESTER AND HOLDING THE ARM OF ANOTHER POLICE OFFICERS STANDING NEAR BANNER POLICE OFFICER WITH HANDCUFFS / PROTESTERS LYING ON GROUND POLICE OFFICER HOLDING PROTESTER'S ARM POLICE OFFICERS SURROUNDING PROTESTERS ON GROUND / CROWD OF PROTESTERS IN BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, LIZZY MANSFIELD, SAYING: "Well we're here because the government is not doing enough on the climate emergency. And the keyword is emergency, right? They declared an emergency after the rebellion in April and then we've seen like surprisingly little action. So we're really here to push home this is an emergency. We only get one planet and so we're here to try and defend it." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, ALICE SIMONS-DENVILLE, SAYING: "We are today because if we don't do something right now, in response to what scientists, academics and people in-the-know, far more knowledgeable than me or him or anyone else that I know of really, have said is that the only way forward to protect our planet from complete devastation - and that means the extinction of not just me, my sisters, my family, my friends, it's everyone's future - and I don't want to live in a world where we're going to be climate change refugees. That's what scientists have predicted will happen if we don't do something faster. And it is happening right now." / (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, BENJAMIN (NO SURNAME GIVEN), SAYING: "Exactly, we are out of time, there is none left, we have to act now. There is no more time. It has to happen now, full stop. That's the end of it." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS PLAYING DRUMS FLAG READING (English): "LOVE AND RAGE" POLICE OFFICER APPROACHING AND SPEAKING WITH PROTESTER SITTING ON GROUND STATUE OF FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, WINSTON CHURCHILL / PROTESTERS PLAYING DRUMS AND DANCING OUTSIDE UK PARLIAMENT
- Embargoed: 21st October 2019 11:51
- Keywords: Climate protests
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Environment,Climate Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B03M69Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Climate change activists blocked roads in central London on Monday (October 7) at the start of two weeks of planned peaceful civil disobedience that will call for urgent government action to curb carbon emissions.
The protests, which organizers expect to bring 10,000 people to the British capital, are part of what Extinction Rebellion activists call an "international rebellion", with similar actions taking part in Australia, the Netherlands and elsewhere.
Speaking from the protest, one demonstrator said she was there because not enough had been done to tackle climate change. "We only get one planet and we're here to try and defend it", said Lizzy Mansfield.
In London's government district of Westminster, activists blocked a bridge and several roads as the protests gathered pace early on Monday.
Extinction Rebellion came to prominence in April when it disrupted traffic in central London for 11 days. More than 1,000 activists were arrested at that time, of whom 850 were prosecuted for various public disorder offences. So far, 250 have been convicted.
(Production: Ben Makori, Iona Serrapica) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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