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Extinction Rebellion is planning to cause rush-hour chaos on Friday by blocking major roads in south-east London to protest against dangerous levels of air pollution.

The Lewisham branch of the protest group will carry out three sit-ins by "swarming" the South Circular, the A21 and A2, where they will hold up traffic for seven minutes at a time.

The group said the protest would take place on Friday morning between 7.30am and 9am.

It warned drivers heading towards central London would be delayed specifically on the A205 South Circular in Catford, on the A21 at Lewisham Station and on the A2 in Deptford.

The protestors intend to stop drivers in order to discuss combatting air pollution and invite them to join a local Extinction Rebellion Group.

School children and commuters walking through the polluted areas, however, will be offered leaflets and cake.

The protest is expected to be the first in a series of disruptive actions by Extinction Rebellion Lewisham as part of a campaign called ‘Let Lewisham Breathe’.

It recent research from Goldsmiths and University of London which found that pollution levels in areas of south east London are up to six times higher than World Health Organisation guidelines.

Last year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called Lewisham's pollution levels a "health crisis".

XR Lewisham supporter Lorna Greenwood, who is 9 months pregnant said: “Air pollution is an environmental and health crisis across the UK.

"Children’s lungs are being stunted, babies are struggling to breathe and toxins are being found in the wombs of pregnant women."

“The aim is not to make life harder for ordinary people – we’ve all got jobs too and we know how annoying this is," she continued.

"It’s about forcing our politicians to confront the truth that our children are literally dying to breathe.”

​Extinction Rebellion is also planning a series of disruptive actions as part of a campaign they have named "Let Lewisham Breath" starting off with the traffic block on Friday.

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard, which faced criticism for failing to clampdown on Extinction Rebelllion protests in central London in April, said: “We are aware of a demonstration planned to take place in Lewisham tomorrow.

“A proportionate policing plan is in place and officers are ready to respond to any incidents that may arise.”

