On the first day of the nine-day protest from Extinction Rebellion, exasperated commuters were seen confronting activists from the climate extremist group who set up roadblocks in Central London.
After months of relative quiet from Extinction Rebellion during their typical winter hibernation, the green radicals have once again taken to blocking key intersections in central London as the weather improves, to the dismay of motorists, many of whom were on their way to work.
In a Breitbart London exclusive video, one woman was heard telling the eco-zealots that she needed to get to work “to pay the rent” and questioned how much longer she would be delayed by the roadblock set up near Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner.
A man demanded to know if one of the protesters had taken his car to the protest. Another motorist mocked the group for forcing cars to idle and therefore produce more air pollution, to which an XR protester replied that it was “not the problem right now”.
A man carries a sign calling for gas rationing at an Extinction Rebellion protest in Central London, April 9th, 2022. Kurt Zindulka, Breitbart News
The group went on to stage “sit down” protests at the Oxford Circus intersection and later on the roads surrounding Trafalgar Square.
Despite causing widespread chaos in Central London on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police have not announced any arrests for the road blockades.
Some 38 members of Extinction Rebellion were arrested the following day, however, after attempting to shut down Vauxhall Bridge.
A spokesman for The Met, Commander Ade Adelekan said: “Everyone has the right to protest, and the public understands that protest will often result in a degree of disruption. However, the rights of protestors have to be balanced against the rights of the wider public, businesses and community.
Adelkhan said that they have a “comprehensive policing plan” in place, including the use of police powers should the protests result in “serious disruption or involve anyone committing criminal offences.”
“Our plan includes specialist teams on standby to respond to any protesters who lock or glue themselves to street furniture or complicated structures, should that be necessary,” he said, adding that the police have been in contact with XR in an “effort to avoid serious disruption to London’s communities.”
A man carries a sign calling against profits at an Extinction Rebellion protest in Central London, April 9th, 2022. Kurt Zindulka, Breitbart News
Extinction Rebellion has previously been accused of attacking the working class, such as when extremists from the group attempted to shut down a subway train in London by climbing on top of it, before being dragged away by the enraged commuters. The activists were spared jail time for the stunt.
Climate radicals in Britain have increasingly followed Extinction Rebellion’s lead of blocking roads. While XR has mostly confined itself to more prosperous city centres, others, such as Insulate Britan have taken blocking major motorways and junctions throughout the country, resulting in chaos and delays for average workers simply trying to commute to their jobs.
In March, a single mother was banned from driving by a court over an incident last year in which she attempted to nudge eco radicals out of the road so that she could take her son to school. It has not been revealed if any of the activists who illegally blockaded the road will face punishment.
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