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Extinction Rebellion protestors have covered themselves in fake blood and staged a "die-in" at the opening of London Fashion Week (LFW).

Activists arrived at the venue on London's Strand early this morning, flooding its entrance with red liquid and lying down for press photographers, as the high-profile event got under way.

Participants were led away by police shouting: "You choose profit over planet, profit over people, profit over our future."

The group said in a press release that the dramatic action signalled the "blood on the hands" of the industry due to its environmental record.

Extinction Rebellion activists at London Fashion Week 2019 12 show all Extinction Rebellion activists at London Fashion Week 2019 1/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists lie on the ground as they protest during London Fashion Week Reuters 2/12 Security personnel stand guard in front of Extinction Rebellion climate change activists who glued themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 3/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists protest during London Fashion Week Reuters 4/12 An Extinction Rebellion climate change activist who glued herself to the doors is pictured at a protest during London Fashion Week Reuters 5/12 Security personnel stand guard in front of Extinction Rebellion climate change activists who glued themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 6/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists lie on the ground as they protest during London Fashion Week in London Reuters 7/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists protest during London Fashion Week in London Reuters 8/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists protest during London Fashion Wee Reuters 9/12 Police officers stand guard as the Extinction Rebellion climate change activists glue themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 10/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activist looks on a police officer as she protests during London Fashion Week Reuters 11/12 A child passes a food to an Extinction Rebellion climate change activist during London Fashion Week Reuters 12/12 Police officers stand guard as the Extinction Rebellion climate change activists glue themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 1/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists lie on the ground as they protest during London Fashion Week Reuters 2/12 Security personnel stand guard in front of Extinction Rebellion climate change activists who glued themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 3/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists protest during London Fashion Week Reuters 4/12 An Extinction Rebellion climate change activist who glued herself to the doors is pictured at a protest during London Fashion Week Reuters 5/12 Security personnel stand guard in front of Extinction Rebellion climate change activists who glued themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 6/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists lie on the ground as they protest during London Fashion Week in London Reuters 7/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists protest during London Fashion Week in London Reuters 8/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activists protest during London Fashion Wee Reuters 9/12 Police officers stand guard as the Extinction Rebellion climate change activists glue themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters 10/12 Extinction Rebellion climate change activist looks on a police officer as she protests during London Fashion Week Reuters 11/12 A child passes a food to an Extinction Rebellion climate change activist during London Fashion Week Reuters 12/12 Police officers stand guard as the Extinction Rebellion climate change activists glue themselves to the doors during London Fashion Week Reuters

It warned today's protests mark the beginning of five days of action against the fashion industry, which it describes as "one of the most polluting in the world with a carbon footprint more than international flights and shipping combined".

The groups planned protests will include a non-disruptive rally in Lyric Square, Hammersmith, on Saturday and "swarming actions" to block major roads near Fashion Week venues on Sunday and Monday - though the locations have yet to be chosen.

Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Sara Arnold, 31, said the main event will be held on Tuesday for the last day of LFW, as activists take part in a funeral procession from Trafalgar Square to the event's central venue 180 Strand.

"This will be the biggest action, a funeral procession to mark the end of Fashion Week, called 'London Fashion Week: Rest in Peace'," Ms Arnold confirmed.

"It will be a funeral for London Fashion Week but also commemorating the lives that have been lost due to climate change and ecological collapse.

"Obviously the fashion industry has had a big impact on the crisis."

Extinction Rebellion Protests: July 2019 - In pictures 27 show all Extinction Rebellion Protests: July 2019 - In pictures 1/27 Extinction Rebellion at Waterloo Road opposite the Old Vic Jeremy Selwyn 2/27 Police move in to make arrests at Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 3/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 4/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 5/27 Extinction Rebellion in Waterloo Jeremy Selwyn 6/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 7/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Extinction Rebellion 8/27 Extinction Rebellion climate activists in London today Reuters 9/27 Extinction Rebellion demonstrators with a green boat in Cardiff, similar to the boat used during demonstrations in central London in April, to further protest inaction against climate change PA 10/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion in Leed PA 11/27 Police officers stand in front of the Extinction Rebellion climate activists' boat during a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London Reuters 12/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 13/27 Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters block the road outside the Royal Courts of Justice Rex Features 14/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion in Leeds PA 15/27 Demonstrators from the "Extinction Rebellion" climate environmental activist group, listen to speakers as they protest outside of The Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand AFP/Getty Images 16/27 Members of the Extinction Rebellion group block traffic on the Strand Getty Images 17/27 Extinction Rebellion protesters block traffic on the Strand as the environmental protest group begin a series of planned week-long protests, collectively called 'Project Mushroom' Getty Images 18/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 19/27 Extinction Rebellion activists block roads near the Tron Clock tower in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images 20/27 Extinction Rebellion Activists block roads near the Tron Clock tower in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images 21/27 The protesters launched their latest action over climate change today Getty Images 22/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion in Leeds. PA 23/27 Members of the Extinction Rebellion block traffic on the Strand as the environmental protest group begin a series of planned week-long protests, collectively called 'Project Mushroom' Getty Images 24/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion with a boat they have parked outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 25/27 Extinction Rebellion activists block roads near the Tron Clock tower in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images 26/27 Police speak with an Extinction Rebellion protester sitting on a boat they have parked outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 27/27 Extinction Rebellion climate activists hold a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London Reuters 1/27 Extinction Rebellion at Waterloo Road opposite the Old Vic Jeremy Selwyn 2/27 Police move in to make arrests at Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 3/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 4/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 5/27 Extinction Rebellion in Waterloo Jeremy Selwyn 6/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Edward Hennessy/Evening Standard 7/27 Extinction Rebellion protest at London Concrete plant in Bow Extinction Rebellion 8/27 Extinction Rebellion climate activists in London today Reuters 9/27 Extinction Rebellion demonstrators with a green boat in Cardiff, similar to the boat used during demonstrations in central London in April, to further protest inaction against climate change PA 10/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion in Leed PA 11/27 Police officers stand in front of the Extinction Rebellion climate activists' boat during a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London Reuters 12/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 13/27 Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters block the road outside the Royal Courts of Justice Rex Features 14/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion in Leeds PA 15/27 Demonstrators from the "Extinction Rebellion" climate environmental activist group, listen to speakers as they protest outside of The Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand AFP/Getty Images 16/27 Members of the Extinction Rebellion group block traffic on the Strand Getty Images 17/27 Extinction Rebellion protesters block traffic on the Strand as the environmental protest group begin a series of planned week-long protests, collectively called 'Project Mushroom' Getty Images 18/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 19/27 Extinction Rebellion activists block roads near the Tron Clock tower in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images 20/27 Extinction Rebellion Activists block roads near the Tron Clock tower in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images 21/27 The protesters launched their latest action over climate change today Getty Images 22/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion in Leeds. PA 23/27 Members of the Extinction Rebellion block traffic on the Strand as the environmental protest group begin a series of planned week-long protests, collectively called 'Project Mushroom' Getty Images 24/27 Protesters from Extinction Rebellion with a boat they have parked outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 25/27 Extinction Rebellion activists block roads near the Tron Clock tower in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images 26/27 Police speak with an Extinction Rebellion protester sitting on a boat they have parked outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London PA 27/27 Extinction Rebellion climate activists hold a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London Reuters

On July 26, the group, also known as XR, sent a letter to the British Fashion Council, challenging them to follow in the footsteps of Stockholm and cancel Fashion Week.

Ms Arnold, who founded her own fashion rental company, said a more sustainable alternative to the event should be pursued.

She said: “Instead of the fashion industry exploiting sustainability to sustain business as usual it should use its influence and creativity to sustain life on earth.

“The industry is set to grow by 63 per cent between now and 2030. It is time for it to admit that it has failed to make itself sustainable.

“The fashion industry’s footprint grows season after season. It has now run out of time. We must act now.”

It comes after an offshoot of XR, failed its planned disruption of flights at Heathrow on Friday morning.

Technical issues hampered attempts to use drones and police arrested two climate change protesters at the airport in the early hours.

The Heathrow Pause group planned to ground flights by illegally flying drones near the airport in a bid to force the Government to take bigger steps to reduce carbon emissions.

But, a live stream at 3am showed the protesters fumbling in the dark with the remote-controlled device as they realised a signal jammer was being used to stop the protest.

The varied protests come ahead of a so-called "International Rebellion" starting on October 7, which will see cities across the globe call for immediate action on the climate and ecological crisis.

On the dedicated Facebook group, XR urges its followers to "rebel", writing: "You can’t look to us or Greta for this. You have to look inside yourself and rebel".

It goes on: "Together, we will peacefully occupy the centres of power and shut them down until Governments act on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

"Leave your desk. Invite your boss. Walk out of school. Switch off the TV. Put down your phone. Get on the streets. And bring everybody.

"You are called on. If you do one thing with your life, do this. Not later, now."