EXTINCTION Rebellion (XR) brought parts of London to a standstill on day nine of the group’s protest across the capital when activists closed off London Bridge with a bus.
Demonstrators blocked the south side of the bridge with a vintage-looking single-decker which was quickly surrounded by police. A day earlier, traffic over Tower Bridge was halted by the protesters using a parked caravan.
Throughout the day, some glued themselves to pavements while others marched banging drums and clapping.
The Metropolitan Police said 43 further arrests had been made on Tuesday, taking the total number of detained climate activists to 469.
The force later defended the actions of its officers after footage showed them using batons and dragging protesters.
The Met tweeted: “There have been some questions today on our use of force while attempting to disrupt the protest involving Extinction Rebellion’s bus.
”It is very clear that the demo near London Bridge was an attempt to cause a major disruption to one of London’s busiest bridges.
“Seeing this, officers nearby took immediate action to prevent any unreasonable disruption to the highway, and to detain those attempting to cause disruption or who were obstructing officers in the lawful execution of their duty.
Smaller groups of protestors could also be found around the city centre, with a silent protest taking place at Trafalgar Square, where protest wore face masks and danced.
