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Scotland Yard has asked for around 200 extra officers from police forces outside London to help deal with the climate change protests in the capital.
As the demonstrations continued for a sixth day on Saturday, Metropolitan Police revealed that 715 people have been arrested and 28 have been charged since the Extinction Rebellion disruption began on Monday.
The National Police Chief’s Council said the Met had made a formal request for assistance managing the protests in the capital to the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC).
A spokesman for the National Police Chief’s Council told The Independent the request had gone out to forces in the “south east” and “eastern” regions and the Met had got the number of extra officers requested.
“It is used to ensure an appropriate police presence exists where there is increased demand for it,” the spokesman said. “NPoCC works with forces to determine their requirements should the need arise.”
Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in LondonShow all 46 1 /46Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf A protester gives a thumbs up as he stalls a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London City of London Protesters hold up traffic on Upper Thames Street in the City of London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf Protesters hold a banner as they hold up a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers remove plants that were placed in the occupation of Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police officers arrive at Oxford Circus as they prepare to remove protesters during the fifth day of a coordinated protest by the Extinction Rebellion group, April 19
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge An activist waters the plants at the occupation on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Undeterred by over 400 arrests, climate change activists continued their demonstration into a fifth day in London with a small protest at the country's main Heathrow Airport, along with the ongoing protest camps at other iconic locations around the British capital
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Protesters with the words 'glued on' written on their hands hold hands as police officers arrive at Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers circle the lorry that serves as the central stage to the Waterloo Bridge occupation, repeating their tactic from a earlier at the Oxford Circus occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Oxford Circus reopens after being closed for days due to occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers prepare to move in on the occupation of Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Activists relax on a sofa at the occupation on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus British actress Emma Thompson talks to members of the media from atop the pink boat after police officers surrounded the boat being used as a stage as climate change activists occupy the road junction at Oxford Circus in central London during the fifth day of environmental protesst by the Extinction Rebellion group
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge An Extinction Rebellion demonstrator is carried away by police on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Activists on Waterloo Bridge have made a garden for their occupation site, April 20
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Demonstrators began blocking off a bridge and major central road junctions on April 15 at the start of a civil disobedience campaign calling for governments to declare an ecological emergency over climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, halt biodiversity loss and be led by new "citizens' assemblies on climate and ecological justice"
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Emma Thompson joins the Extinction Rebellion protest at Oxford Circus. Thompson spoke from the pink boat at the centre of the occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Extinction Rebellion protesters sit outside Heathrow Airport on April 19
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Climate protestors hold a demo outside Heathrow Airport
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Police officers detain a climate change activist at Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Marble Arch Protesters prepare for another day at Marble Arch as the Extinction Rebellion protests enter their fifth day
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus British actress Emma Thompson gives an address from the stage atop the pink boat
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Actress Emma Thompson takes a photo with a Extinction Rebellion demonstrator
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Climate change activists blockade Oxford Circus on the third day of an environmental protest by the Extinction Rebellion group
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change activists stand atop a bus shelter as they take part in a blockade of Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf Police is seen as climate change activists demonstrate during the Extinction Rebellion protest, at Canary Wharf DLR station in London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Police speak to climate change activists blockading Waterloo bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change activists, one (right) with her hand glued to the underside of a truck parked across Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Environmental campaigners protest in the centre of Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Jeremy Corbyn's Home Climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion protest sit after glueing themselves to the front fence of Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn's house
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Marble Arch Dozens of tents have been pitched at Marble Arch in a large scale occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf station Police remove climate activists who glued themselves on top of a train at Canary Wharf station
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police forces carry a protester
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf station A climate change protestor who glued his hand to a window halts a DLR train
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Pedestrians and a cyclist pass graffiti drawn by protestors who blocked Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change protestors practice yoga on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge A climate change activist gestures while being detained by police officers
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Protestors sit on the road
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus
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As part of its request, the Met asked for a protest removal team, which includes specially trained officers able to deal people locking or gluing themselves to objects.
Scotland Yard admitted on Friday that the ongoing arrests have put the force under pressure because they placed a “logistical problem on … the police service for cell space but also the wider criminal justice system”.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Independent : “Our custody suites are not full and we are continuing to arrest those who are breaking the law. Those who have been arrested are being taken to MPS custody suites throughout London. Contingency plans are in place should custody suites become full.”
On Saturday around 30 protesters sat down in the centre of the Oxford Circus junction as police threatened arrests.
Extinction Rebellion said a liaison officer had told the group the police had “graciously withdrawn” and decided not to clear the area of protesters.
Dozens of police have also been reported moving onto Waterloo Bridge , where protesters have also blocked the road.
Extinction Rebellion said there were about 14 police vans on the southern end of Waterloo Bridge and the group believes it is a “genuine concerted effort” to clear the area.
A police-sanctioned event is also taking place today at Marble Arch .
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