Climate change activists today put out a rallying cry for more protesters to flood Oxford Circus as they try to cause chaos on the Tube and railways as police start to run out of cells on the third day of mayhem across London.
Hundreds of Extinction Rebellion protesters emerged from their tents this morning, with 290 already arrested during clashes with police over the past 48 hours – but they boasted of holding their four key strongholds.
Demonstrations have been taking place at Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge, Marble Arch – with protesters urging others to gather at Oxford Circus today. The four sites were ‘held comfortably overnight’, organisers said.
The protests have led to road closures, traffic gridlock and serious disruption to public transport and businesses, with 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected. Some 260,000 people use Oxford Circus station daily.
A boat remains in the middle of Oxford Circus as the activists take the fight underground – but they have so far remained tight-lipped about their plans, and not even police or transport officials have said where to avoid.
Meanwhile police, whose costs are likely to run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds, have allegedly delayed arresting protesters after running out of cells. Those arrested could now be forced to go to cells outside London.
And local businesses have accused police of being too slow to move on the activists who have brought traffic to a standstill with human barricades, but Scotland Yard insists it is trying to maintain a ‘proportionate’ response.
Jay Patel, 26, the manager of Marble Arch News on Edgware Road, said: ‘It’s completely ridiculous, we are losing so much money. There’s no one here. The police need to do something soon as it’s crippling our business.’
Source: Daily Mail.
