A large part of central London has been blocked causing problems on roads across the capital

The best advice for anyone driving in London today would be to stay well away from Westminster as Extinction Rebellion protesters bed down to cause disruption.

Overnight the climate change protesters – or uncooperative crusties, as Boris Johnson referred to them – set up camps at numerous locations across the capital.

By 9.30pm there were 280 arrests across the city on the first day of two weeks of action in the capital.

The situation is ever-changing with a protest at Smithfields springing up yesterday evening.


But as of 6.30am today these roads were closed or partially blocked.

The Mall

Whitehall

Parliament Street

Parliament Square

Broad Sanctuary

Victoria Street

Abingdon Street

Millbank

Horse Guards Road

Westminster Bridge

Horseferry Road

Great Peter Street

The Strand

Northumberland Avenue

Cockspur Street

Pall Mall East

All roads around Trafalgar Square

The protesters set up camps across Westminster overnight (Picture: Extinction Rebellion)

Yesterday Parliament Square was empty of traffic except for police vans, bicycles and rickshaws carrying tourists, while costumed protesters walked up Whitehall, and a hearse was used to block the road at Trafalgar Square.

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An impromptu cricket game was held outside the Supreme Court and the streets rang with drumming, whistles and chanting, while dozens of tents were erected on the roads and yoga classes took place on Westminster Bridge.



Extinction Rebellion says the protests could be as much as five times bigger than those held in April, which brought major disruption to London and saw more than 1,100 arrests.

It is part of an ‘international rebellion’ around the world, with action taking place in cities including Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam and New York.

Hundreds of environmental activists took part in protests through Dublin as part the action, with a mock funeral procession though the city and a large pink boat unveiled outside the heart of the Irish parliament in Leinster House.

The road closures as seen on Google Maps at 6.30am today (Picture: Google Maps)

In the UK, Extinction Rebellion is calling on the Government to declare a climate and ecological emergency, to act immediately to halt wildlife loss and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.

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They also want to see the Government create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

Actor Sir Mark Rylance joined the roadblock in the Mall, while actress Juliet Stevenson, comedian and author Ruby Wax and model Daisy Lowe also took part in the demonstrations.

Sir Mark told Extinction Rebellion protesters at St James’ Park: ‘People have been saying to me, it doesn’t make a difference having a celebrity joining the protests.

‘But I want people to know climate change protesters aren’t hippies. I am confident these protests are going to lead to a solid change.’

One of the road blocks that was set up on Whitehall preventing any traffic from getting through (Picture: Getty)

Stevenson said she was delighted to see so much engagement from young people and that her own son was at the protests and working for Extinction Rebellion.

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The Truly Madly Deeply star said: ‘It’s a very wonderful action today. We can’t any longer allow governments to do this so we have to make it clear that there is no more time.

‘There’s a long tradition in this country of people saying governments are not acting, we have to make them realise how urgent this is.’

Extinction Rebellion protester Caroline Hartnell, 69, from London, said activists were going to be surrounding all the Government ministries.

She said: ‘We are going to be putting pressure on them – what they are going to do mend the climate emergency, because we are running out of time.

A taxi turns back at a road block near the Cabinet Office on Whitehall (Picture: Getty)

‘I have seven grandchildren and the youngest is three. I feel passionately for them (and worry) there is not going to be a world for them to live in.’

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Oxford University student Fergus Green, from St Albans, said: ‘People are coming from all over the country. I’m here to force the Government to take action on climate change.



I’m a student, I should be at uni – my term has started. But I’m here to take action. People are missing work and school to be here.’

Church leaders took part in the occupation of Lambeth Bridge to create a ‘faith bridge’, with services and prayer vigils planned.

Rev Jon Swales, 41, Mission Priest at the Church of England’s Lighthouse Church in Leeds and Associate Faculty at St Hild Theological Centre, said: ‘The science is clear. Unless we radically change the way we live in the world we will face the full force of climate catastrophe.’

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