Extinction tube

Extinction Rebellion has apologised after protesters tried to stop trains on London’s tube network, only to be fiercely attacked by a mob.

Protesters were dragged from the top of trains and attacked by angry commuters as they halted a train at Canning Town station this morning.

Dozens of commuters were seen pulling at two campaigners who climbed to the top of a tube train with a ladder before they unfurled a banner reading “Business as usual = death”.

Bystanders then began to kick one of the activists they managed to drag to the floor.

Meanwhile, another group of activists glued themselves to a DLR train at Shadwell while commuters shouted “We’re on an electric train”.

Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Show all 59 1 /59 Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads London, UK Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Trafalgar Square Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion protests in Trafalgar Square - 10 October 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou/The Independent Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou Extinction Rebellion protesters shut down London roads Extinction Rebellion London march - 12 ctober 2019 Angela Christofilou Angela Christofilou

“We would...like to apologise to all those whose lives we disrupted this morning. We have spent a lot of time thinking about how best to respond,” am XR spokesperson said on Thursday afternoon.

“Extinction Rebellion remains fully committed to nonviolence. The climate and ecological emergency is the biggest threat facing us all today, and it is unfortunate that something like this has to happen for this to become ‘newsworthy’.

“That said, we are all incredibly sad at how events unfolded this morning, and are using this as an opportunity to learn and reflect as an organisation.

“Although we are pushing for disruption and civil disobedience, we are still learning how to do this in a way that does not result in violence, and that does not discriminate against hard-working individuals, especially those in communities who stand to be most affected by the climate and ecological crisis and are most vulnerable to systems of power.”

The group plans to continue its protests in central London, which have seen more than 1,600 people arrested.

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