Extinction Rebellion protest - live: Climate change activists glue themselves to fence outside Corbyn’s house
Wednesday's developments as they happened with demonstrations on capital’s transport network and outside Labour leader's home
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Campaigners climbed on top of a train and glued themselves to the roof during a third day of climate change protests, which have caused serious disruption in London.
Two Extinction Rebellion demonstrators clambered aboard the carriage of a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in east London at around 11am on Wednesday.
Later in the day protesters gathered outside the north London home of Jeremy Corbyn. One of the demonstrators chained herself to the leader of the Opposition's garden fence with a bike lock.
More than 300 protesters have already been arrested this week following protests across central London.
Activists are demanding the government declare a climate emergency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025.
Read below for the day's developments, as they happened.
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Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage as climate change activists attempt to disrupt the London Underground network.
The protest group Extinction Rebellion says it plans to stage a demonstration on the Tube on Wednesday in a bid to spur the government into tackling the “ecological emergency”.
British Transport Police says it is stepping up patrols across stations in the capital, adding officers will not tolerate any activity which disrupts services for the millions of commuters who use London Underground every day.
Here's more on exactly what protesters are planning today and what they hope to achieve as a result of the demonstrations.
British Transport Police say they are preparing for disruption caused by protests due to take place on the Tube today.
“Over the next few days a large number of additional officers will be on patrol to help facilitate what we hope is a safe and peaceful protest,” superintendent Matt Allingham said.
“However, we will not tolerate any activity which disrupts the millions of passengers who rely on using the rail network in London.
“During the next 24 hours, these intelligence-led patrols will be in place to help keep everyone safe and to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum.”
Meanwhile, police have also shut down wifi services across the London Underground network as part of the attempt to curtail any potential protests.
A British Transport Police spokesperson said the move had been taken “in the interests of safety and to prevent and deter serious disruption”.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says he was “extremely concerned” about the potential for disruption on the Tube today.
In a statement, Mr Khan said any action by climate change protesters on the Underground would put passengers’ safety at risk.
“It is absolutely crucial to get more people using public transport, as well as walking and cycling, if we are to tackle this climate emergency – and millions of Londoners depend on the Underground network to get about their daily lives in our city,” he said.
“Targeting public transport in this way would only damage the cause of all of us who want to tackle climate change, as well as risking Londoners’ safety and I’d implore anyone considering doing so to think again.”
Protester and climate lawyer Farhana Yamin, who was arrested on Tuesday, has been speaking ahead of today’s planned demonstrations.
“I totally want to apologise to people using public transport,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“But at the same time we need to take actions that are disruptive so everyone understands the dangers we’re facing right now.
“I’m not someone who goes out on to the streets and disrupts and gets arrested for no reason at all - but I feel people should understand that we are at a critical moment in our humanity's history.”
Wifi shut down to ‘deter serious disruption’
More on the police decision to turn off wifi services on the Tube this morning - which has supposedly been taken in an attempt to hinder protests.
British Transport Police said it restricted internet connectivity across the Underground network. “in the interests of safety and to prevent and deter serious disruption”.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and we would like to assure passengers that this decision is not taken lightly and will be reviewed throughout the day,” BTP said in a statement.
“The force continues to work closely with Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police Service in keeping disruption to a minimum.”
For those outside London, or those who have never used the service, wifi is apparently available in ticket halls, walkways and platforms at 260 London Underground stations across the capital.
The New West End Company, which represents around 600 retailers, restaurants and hotels in the West End, estimates its members have lost £12m in sales while Extinction Rebellion protests have been taking place.
Businesses have seen an average 25 per cent reduction in footfall during the demonstrations, the organisation said.
“This additional pressure is deeply damaging to London’s economy and reputation,” said Jace Tyrrell, New West End Company chief executive.
Nothing new about Tube disruption
No need for demonstrations, there’s plenty of disruption on London Underground this morning without the help of climate change protesters.
Signal failure at Monument station is causing delays on the Circle, District and Hammersmith and City lines.
Breaking: Climate change protesters climb on top of DLR train at Canary Wharf
Two activists have climbed onto the roof of a train at Canary Wharf’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station.
A man dressed in a dark suit and a woman wearing a black coat stood on the roof of a train in the station holding a banner reading “Climate Emergency. Act Now.”
A man wearing a high-visibility vest appears to have glued himself to the side of a carriage, although this has not been confirmed.
Canary Wharf is of course one of UK’s main financial centres. However, the DLR mainly serves Tower Hamlets and Newham – two of London’s most deprived boroughs.
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