Extinction Rebellion protests: Roads closed after climate activist scales Parliament’s walls, as group threatens to target Tube network

More than 1,400 arrested over nine days of protests

Protester scales parliament fence during Extinction Rebellion demonstration

Extinction Rebellion insists its “international rebellion will continue” and plans to target the London Underground after activists were ordered to stop their protest in London immediately or face arrest.

It comes after hundreds of activists blocked streets around the City of London in an effort to cause “maximum disruption” and demand urgent action on the climate crisis.

Flouting police instructions, this morning the group’s co-founder Gail Bradbrook climbed the entrance to the Department for Transport in Westminster while other activists glued themselves to the building.

Protesters have also been arrested after blocking the road outside the headquarters of MI5.

One demonstrator briefly scaled a fence by the Houses of Parliament, only to be removed shortly afterwards.

Parliament Square was closed while the operation took place.

Meanwhile, the group is planning to take the police to court after it banned Extinction Rebellion protests from London in a move human rights groups have condemned as “chilling and unlawful”.

Anti-Brexit barrister Jo Maugham QC claimed the move was a “huge overreach” of police powers, human rights lawyer Adam Wagner called it “draconian and extremely heavy-handed”, and Allan Hogarth from Amnesty International said it was “unacceptable”.

”This ban is completely contrary to Britain’s long-held traditions of policing by consent, freedom of speech, and the right to protest,” said Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary.

The climate protests are set to continue for several more days.

Extinction Rebellion said demonstrators “apologise to all those who may be affected by [Thursday’s tube protests] but this is an emergency”.

If you would like to see how Tuesday’s protests unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below:

[15 October 2019 18:20 · Zamira Rahim]

Extinction Rebellion has divided the public, despite winning significant support.

"For all the strides they’ve made, I have a funny feeling about Extinction Rebellion," argues Kuba Shand-Baptiste, in a new column.

"Of course, I’m not alone. There are those who – swayed by their own prejudices about activism – distrust them on that basis alone. To these people, the protesters are merely entitled, jobless “crusties”, intoxicated by the rush of stopping traffic dead and making everyone’s commute to work that much more hellish, never mind the climate crisis.

"They will be happy with news today that the police have issued a section 14 order, banning them from continuing protests in London. 

"I don’t count myself in that camp. Fighting climate change is, to put it perhaps too simply, incredibly important. I consider it, as so many other activists have pointed out for years, an amalgamation of society’s biggest ills."

Read more here: 

[15 October 2019 18:35 · Zamira Rahim]

Parliament Square, which had been closed in both directions, has now been fully reopened, according to TFL.

[15 October 2019 18:45 · Zamira Rahim]

Meanwhile, in front of Buckingham Palace, grandparents and grandchildren are protesting via song.

[15 October 2019 19:00 · Zamira Rahim]

"This nanna is revolting," reads one sign held by an older activist standing opposite Buckingham Palace.