Activists behind a week-long protest that has disrupted central London have vowed to step up their demonstration until the government agrees to demands for tougher action on climate change.

“If we see what we are doing is not getting attention, we will increase the noise that we make,” said Extinction Rebellion coordinator Yanai Postelnik from an encampment on Waterloo Bridge.

But for all the threats of chaos on the streets of the capital, some of London’s noisiest and most polluted junctions have been transformed. Streets are now dominated not by the steady hum of traffic and car horns but live music, the usual tailbacks replaced with pop-up kitchens and yoga mats.

“This is the garden bridge for considerably less than the Boris Johnson administration was suggesting,” 54-year-old Mr Postelnik, from Devon, said.

“These are rational, reasonable, caring people who have gone outside their comfort zone and are willing to go further if needed.”

Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Show all 46 1 /46 Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf A protester gives a thumbs up as he stalls a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in London Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London City of London Protesters hold up traffic on Upper Thames Street in the City of London Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf Protesters hold a banner as they hold up a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in London Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers remove plants that were placed in the occupation of Waterloo Bridge PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police officers arrive at Oxford Circus as they prepare to remove protesters during the fifth day of a coordinated protest by the Extinction Rebellion group, April 19 Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge An activist waters the plants at the occupation on Waterloo Bridge PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Undeterred by over 400 arrests, climate change activists continued their demonstration into a fifth day in London with a small protest at the country's main Heathrow Airport, along with the ongoing protest camps at other iconic locations around the British capital Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Protesters with the words 'glued on' written on their hands hold hands as police officers arrive at Oxford Circus Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers circle the lorry that serves as the central stage to the Waterloo Bridge occupation, repeating their tactic from a earlier at the Oxford Circus occupation Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Oxford Circus reopens after being closed for days due to occupation AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers prepare to move in on the occupation of Waterloo Bridge PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Activists relax on a sofa at the occupation on Waterloo Bridge AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus British actress Emma Thompson talks to members of the media from atop the pink boat after police officers surrounded the boat being used as a stage as climate change activists occupy the road junction at Oxford Circus in central London during the fifth day of environmental protesst by the Extinction Rebellion group AFP Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge An Extinction Rebellion demonstrator is carried away by police on Waterloo Bridge PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Activists on Waterloo Bridge have made a garden for their occupation site, April 20 Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Demonstrators began blocking off a bridge and major central road junctions on April 15 at the start of a civil disobedience campaign calling for governments to declare an ecological emergency over climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, halt biodiversity loss and be led by new "citizens' assemblies on climate and ecological justice" Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Emma Thompson joins the Extinction Rebellion protest at Oxford Circus. Thompson spoke from the pink boat at the centre of the occupation AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Extinction Rebellion protesters sit outside Heathrow Airport on April 19 Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Climate protestors hold a demo outside Heathrow Airport Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Police officers detain a climate change activist at Waterloo Bridge Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Marble Arch Protesters prepare for another day at Marble Arch as the Extinction Rebellion protests enter their fifth day Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus British actress Emma Thompson gives an address from the stage atop the pink boat AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Actress Emma Thompson takes a photo with a Extinction Rebellion demonstrator PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Climate change activists blockade Oxford Circus on the third day of an environmental protest by the Extinction Rebellion group AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change activists stand atop a bus shelter as they take part in a blockade of Waterloo Bridge AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf Police is seen as climate change activists demonstrate during the Extinction Rebellion protest, at Canary Wharf DLR station in London Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Police speak to climate change activists blockading Waterloo bridge AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge epa07511673 A demonstrator gestures the hand heart as protesters from the Extinction Rebellion campaign group block Waterloo Bridge in central London, Britain, 17 April 2019. The Extinction Rebellion are holding a number of protests across London to draw attention to climate change. EPA/NEIL HALL NEIL HALL EPA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change activists, one (right) with her hand glued to the underside of a truck parked across Waterloo Bridge AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Environmental campaigners protest in the centre of Oxford Circus Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Jeremy Corbyn's Home Climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion protest sit after glueing themselves to the front fence of Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn's house Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Marble Arch Dozens of tents have been pitched at Marble Arch in a large scale occupation Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf station Police remove climate activists who glued themselves on top of a train at Canary Wharf station EPA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police forces carry a protester AP Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf station A climate change protestor who glued his hand to a window halts a DLR train AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Extinction Rebellion demonstrators on Waterloo Bridge, London, after police issued a Section 14 Public Order Act 1986 warning. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 17, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire Jonathan Brady PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge epa07512336 Extinction Rebellion climate change demonstrators protest on Waterloo Bridge during climate change protests in London, Britain, 17 April 2019. The Extinction Rebellion are holding a number of protests across London to draw attention to climate change. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge epa07512368 Extinction Rebellion climate change demonstrators protest on Waterloo Bridge during climate change protests in London, Britain, 17 April 2019. Waterloo Bridge remains closed as protests continue. EPA/ANDY RAIN ANDY RAIN EPA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Extinction Rebellion demonstrators in Oxford Circus, London, as more than 200 people have been arrested as police deal with ongoing climate change protests. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 17, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire Kirsty O'Connor PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: An Environmental campaigner is carried by police officers at Oxford Circus during the third day of a coordinated protest by the Extinction Rebellion group on April 17, 2019 in London, England. More than 100 arrests have been made, with demonstrations blocking a number of locations across the capital. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Leon Neal Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Pedestrians and a cyclist pass graffiti drawn by protestors who blocked Waterloo Bridge AP Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change protestors practice yoga on Waterloo Bridge AFP/Getty Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge A climate change activist gestures while being detained by police officers Reuters Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Protestors sit on the road AP Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Extinction Rebellion demonstrators on Waterloo Bridge, London, as more than 200 people have been arrested as police deal with ongoing climate change protests. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday April 17, 2019. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Climate. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire Yui Mok PA Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police forces carry a protestor to arrest him at Oxford Circus in London, Wednesday, April 17, 2019. The group Extinction Rebellion is calling for a week of civil disobedience against what it says is the failure to tackle the causes of climate change. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Frank Augstein AP

The protest sites have sprouted tents, sound systems and even an ice cream van.

But there have also been hundreds of arrests – and by Friday the prospect of disruption had spread to Heathrow Airport.

The Metropolitan Police said it had “strong plans in place that would enable it to deploy a significant number of officers to Heathrow and take firm action” if needed.

The home secretary, Sajid Javid, said he wanted police to “take a firm stance and use the full force of the law”.

However, the vast majority of those arrested have been held only briefly before being released, with many choosing to rejoin the protest.

“I have been arrested twice this week,” said Mr Postelnik. “There is a risk of penalties, there is a risk of stigma, and yet the penalty for failing to act is much greater.”

Alex Dickinson, a 51-year-old environmental campaigner and lead steward at the Marble Arch demonstration, said most people did not intend to get arrested.

“We have a small number of people who for strategic reasons are prepared to get arrested, but we are not encouraging everyone to get arrested on principle,” he said.

“History shows if you march from A to B, that often doesn’t change anything. Like the march against the Iraq War, they went home and that told the government they don’t need to do anything.

“Even if the numbers drop off, what we are doing is raising the profile of the most important issue facing the planet.”

Climate protesters Extinction Rebellion disrupt DLR train at Canary Wharf

And while those involved hoped to use civil disobedience to raise awareness about the perilous state of the environment, among the make-shift communities that have grown – organically – across the city, there was a definite sense of order.

From the fully-stocked kitchen tent to the poster shop and whiteboard displaying the day’s shift pattern, the XR demonstration is remarkably well-run for a movement born only six months earlier and which, its members insist, functions without any one person officially taking charge.

On Waterloo Bridge, legal advice was being offered to ensure the protesters knew their rights when dealing with the police.

Bemused commuters walking across the bridge, which is completely closed to traffic, weave between crowds of demonstrators while tents were in place alongside potted plants lined up on the road.

Two miles away at Marble Arch, regular drop-in sessions were held for new recruits among the 100 or so tents pitched nearby.

And part of Oxford Street is still closed off to vehicles. A large pink boat – from which a DJ played music to throngs of supporters – obstructed the main junction with Regent Street, until police towed it away.

At the first aid tent on Waterloo Bridge, John Payne, a 70-year-old retired GP from the Forest of Dean, was putting his medical knowledge to good use.

“You get every kind of problem,” he explained. “Mental health issues, people who are shaken about the process of being arrested. Yesterday we spent all our time going through the crowd with sunscreen.

“We have got to act on climate change. Otherwise, in 20 or 30 years’ time, it will be people like me, the ‘fit elderly’, who will die.”

XR is demanding the government declare a climate and ecological emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and create a citizen’s assembly of members of the public to lead on solutions.

The UK has lowered net emissions by 42 per cent since 1990, and aims to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Government advisers are to suggest new targets next month.

But many activists The Independent spoke to this week said they held little hope for a significant shift in the government’s environmental policy in the coming weeks.

Narjuss Seffar and Katarina Hasapopoulos, who took part in the Waterloo Bridge protest (The Independent)

Katarine Hasapopoulos, a mother-of-three from Stroud who was held by police for six hours this week, said: “We are living in unprecedented times, and that calls for drastic measures. On Monday, I glued myself onto the Shell building, and I am prepared to keep doing that to bring about change and have our demands met.”