
Hundreds of eco-activists barricaded bridges, blocked traffic and caused travel chaos during 'a day of rebellion' on the streets of London today in order to force the government to impose radical new laws on climate change.

Five bridges across the Thames - Southwark, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster and Lambeth bridges - were blocked off during the day of havoc, and police claimed more than 70 people were arrested at the protests organised by Extinction Rebellion (ER).

Music teachers, civil servants and retired psychologists were among the protesters who had been trained by ER to get themselves arrested while inflicting damage across the capital.

Metropolitan Police said emergency vehicles were hampered from getting across London because of the 'blockade' of five bridges. The force said it had asked all protesters to congregate at Westminster Bridge where officers can facilitate lawful protest.

Music teachers, civil servants and retired psychologists were among the protesters who had been trained by ER to get themselves arrested while inflicting damage across the capital

Activists caused five bridges across the River Thames to be blocked off during the day of havoc, meant to pressure the government to tackle climate change

Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge in London for a protest called by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers posed by climate change

Music teachers, civil servants and retired psychologists are among the protesters that have been trained by the direct action group to get themselves arrested

Organisers of the 'Rebellion Day' had claimed that more than 6,000 people had been involved in the demonstrations

One of the people taking part in the protest, Jo Khimba, addressed crowds gathered on Westminster Bridge and said: 'For god's sake, we've got to care for the world'

A meeting held before the day of carnage saw the ER leadership say that 'smashing windows and spraying graffiti' was on the agenda

Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge hold several signs as they protest to raise awareness of climate change and the dangers that it poses

The activists' aim is to force the government to introduce 'legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025'

Jo Khimba, who was taking part in the protest, told crowds gathered on Westminster Bridge: 'We've got to care for each other, and for god's sake, we've got to care for the world.'

Two women - who did not want to be named - attended the protest dressed as bumble bees.

They told the Press Association: 'I have concern for my children and grandchildren. I truthfully believe we're all heading for extinction.

'Climate change is so important, it's coming over so fast and nothing is being done.'

Like other protesters, they also called on the government to halt fracking programmes and 'work hard to reduce carbon emissions to zero long before 2050,' which is the current goal.

Organisers of the protests believe at least 50 people have been arrested over the last week.

A total of 22 people were arrested on Monday after protesters blocked traffic and glued themselves to entry gates at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Dr Gail Bradbrook, one of the protest organisers, said: 'We could easily be facing starvation in the UK if the weather effect continues as it is.

'We need to be building resilience in our communities, we need to go to net zero carbon and we're also asking for a people's assembly so that the people can decide how the change happens.'

When asked if the Extinction Rebellion demands were achievable, Dr Bradbrook said: 'We don't have a choice, because nature is going to have the last word on this one.'

An elderly female protester joins in with other demonstrators on Westminster Bridge while holding a sign that says 'Rebel for life'

Environmental campaigners from the direct action group Rebellion demonstrate in the centre of Westminster Bridge

Being 'net zero' means that any remaining carbon emissions are balanced by technology that removes and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that we leave no carbon footprint

ER has been backed by Julia Bradbury, from the BBC's Watchdog (which investigated criminal and fraudulent behaviour), Lord Williams of Oystermouth, the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury, and The Guardian's George Monbiot

Social media users took to Twitter to criticise the protesters for shutting down bridges and causing traffic delays

A Times reporter attended a meeting where the ER leadership said 'smashing windows and spraying graffiti' was on the agenda.

The activists' aim is to force the government to introduce 'legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025'.

Being 'net zero' means that any remaining carbon emissions are balanced by technology that removes and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that we leave no carbon footprint.

ER has been backed by Julia Bradbury, from the BBC's Watchdog (which investigated criminal and fraudulent behaviour), Lord Williams of Oystermouth, the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury, and The Guardian's George Monbiot.

The day of chaos and eco-carnage is intended to force the government to make policy changes to tackle climate issues

Hundreds of protesters could be seen all over London with large numbers congregating on Westminster Bridge to spread their message

Radical eco activists from Extinction Rebellion (pictured demonstrating against fracking in Westminster on Monday) will wreak havoc on the streets of London today

They plan to block off bridges, smash windows and spray graffiti during their crime spree (pictured, they targeted the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs office this week)

Roman, an anti-fracking protestor from Extinction Rebellion, superglued himself to the door of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy this week in a protest that saw around 50 ER members arrested

An ER protester is taken away by police officers after holding a demonstration outside Downing Street

Police officers had to physically carry the climate change protesters who refused to move

Richard Black, director of the Energy And Climate Intelligence Unit, told the Times there was 'no chance' the group would achieve their 2025 target of carbon neutrality, because it would mean banning commercial flights, scrapping 38 million petrol and diesel vehicles and taking away 26 million boilers from Brits' homes.

On Monday, around 50 of ER's activists were arrested when they chained and superglued themselves to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in Westminster.

Some of the protesters barged into the building through a side entrance and painted the group's logo on a number of glass panels.

Activists from Extinction Rebellion during an anti-fracking protest outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Other activists superglued their hands to the revolving doors of the department and locked their arms together with plastic tubes to ensure they could not be easily moved.

On Wednesday, twenty-seven protesters were arrested for trying to block Downing Street.

The activists dropped two banners from Westminster Bridge reading Climate Change and We're F****d.

They later tried to block the entrance to Downing Street, holding up food containers reading 'food shortages coming', with some lying on the ground and one gluing himself to a fence.

The protesters then moved on to a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs office and spray painted a wall with the message: 'Climate emergency. Frack off. Climate breakdown equals starvation.'

Police said that more than 70 people were arrested during the day of protests across central London today

The protest centred for several hours on Westminster Bridge, near Britain's parliament, but there was also disruption to traffic on four other bridges