LONDON – Thousands of environmental activists have occupied five bridges in London to protest the British government’s “inaction” on climate change and pollution.

More than 6,000 people started protesting at around 10 am, blocking the crossings at Blackfriars, Lambeth, Southwark, Waterloo and Westminster, the campaign group Extinction Rebellion link said.

After all bridges were reopened, the demonstrators marched to a rally in Parliament Square, where officers cordoned off the statue of Winston Churchill after a green flag was attached to his walking stick.

At least 82 activists were arrested during the protests for offenses such as obstruction of the highway. They were later released under investigation, the Metropolitan Police said link .

Scotland Yard said on Sunday that protesters were predominantly detained for breaches of the Highways Act, following staged sit-ins on five bridges crossing the Thames. Other arrests were made for offences under the Bail Act.

The protesters, who compared themselves to US civil rights campaigners, maintained that radical action was essential to “raise the alarm” about the threatening climate crisis.