Extinction Rebellion protests – live: Activists strip naked outside Barclays after police remove people glued to plants
Latest developments as they happen
Activists at the Extinction Rebellion protest have now been freed from the plant pots, onto which they had glued themselves, only to be been placed immediately into handcuffs and taken to a police van.
Others stripped naked infront of a branch of Barclays bank in protest, behind a banner which read: “We are all vulnerable, stop funding fossil fuels”.
Meanwhile, dozens of medical staff, including doctors, surgeons and anesthetists, gathered outside JP Morgan’s headquarters in London calling on the investment bank to divest from fossil fuels on Friday, with a warning that failing to act now would make the planet “uninhabitable”.
Some protesters lay on the floor while others stood behind a giant banner reading “stop funding fossil fuels”.
Dr David McKelvey, a GP for 36 years, said: “We call on them to face up to the reality of catastrophe they are fuelling. Stop all new fossil fuel investments now.”
Police gathered at the Canary Wharf site and one nurse could be heard telling security “you’re hurting me, you’re really hurting me”.
JP Morgan declined to comment on the protest.
The action is the tenth day of the ongoing Impossible Rebellion, a series of protests by Extinction Rebellion and related groups on environmental issues.
On Thursday, activists from HS2 Rebellion, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, scaled the seven-storey Tower Place West building in the City of London which houses the offices of insurance company Marsh – linked to the HS2 rail project.
Specialist officers move in to free glued hands of XR members
Specialist officers have now moved in to free the glued hands of XR members.
The medical professionals, who are also XR protestors, have been handed plastic goggles to wear while police attempt to unstick their hands.
So far, no one has been freed.
Officers have been trying for about 15 minutes.
The doctors have been glued to the planters for around three hours now.
Two glued-on XR protestors freed and in handcuffs
Two of the glued-on XR protestors have now been freed and placed immediately into handcuffs.
Patrick Heart, the XR member who is wearing scrubs that say “GP”, has been taken away by officers and placed in a police van.
Meanwhile, a medical student who has just been freed appeared to resist police by sitting on the floor momentarily.
However, officers have now placed her in the van too.
The remaining glued-on protestors will now be looked over by the specialist officers.
Meanwhile, J P Morgan security have begun covering up the graffitied planters.
Police defend swift action to shut down XR protest
Officers are acting “more swiftly” to arrest Extinction Rebellion protesters in London, a police chief has said as he defended the tactics used to counter the demonstrations.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told Times Radio: “What we saw at other locations on Sunday was an attempt outside the Science Museum to set up complex structures with complex lock-on devices to cause serious disruption to the public of London.
“And that’s when officers are moving in and acting more swiftly to make arrests and try to lawfully remove the protesters.
“Over the 10 days we’ve made 480 arrests, we’ve removed 81 people who were glued on to structures, we’ve removed 52 people who were locked on to structures, and 31 of those from height.
“The important point is all of this takes a huge amount of time and resources and these resources are the same offices that are being obstructed from what we want them to be doing in their local boroughs, which is bearing down on violence.”
‘Cause of death: fossil fuel finance'
As glued-on XR members are freed from planters outside JP Morgan, and taken off in police vans, a group of the other healthcare workers have staged a death demonstration outside Canary Wharf station.
Six doctors are lying “dead” beside a sign that reads: “Cause of death: fossil fuel finance.”
Passers-by are taking a keen interest in what’s happening, including one child who The Independent heard asking her mum: “What are fossil fuels mummy?”
A police officer has informed the doctors and nurses they may be asked to move soon. The Impossible Rebellion continues.
Six doctors lie “dead” in front of Canary Wharf tube station
A group of six doctors can be seen lying “dead” in front of Canary Wharf tube station infront of a sign that reads: “Cause of death: fossil fuel finance.”
Dramatic global warming 55 million years ago was exacerbated by climate ‘tipping points’. research reveals
Moving momentarily away from the protests, a new study suggests the warming planet hit various ‘tipping points’ that released more carbon, triggering more warming.
Around 55 million years ago, a major climate event upended our planet’s weather systems in what is recognised as one of the most rapid and dramatic instances of climate change the world has ever seen.
But theories behind the cause of the 150,000-year-long event have been inconclusive.
Read the full story here:
Dramatic global warming 55 million years ago was exacerbated by ‘tipping points’
Nearly 500 arrests made since Monday
Almost 500 people have been arrested in the latest wave of Extinction Rebellion protests in London.
Police have been accused of being particularly heavy-handed with protestors after officers could be seen using batons as well as forcefully dragging protesters from the top of a bus on Tuesday, near to London Bridge.
Matt Twist, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner, told Times Radio: “It’s not the numbers of protesters but it’s the level of serious disruption that they’re looking to cause, which is impacting on other Londoners.
“We’ve said right from the start, we know that Extinction Rebellion have the right to protest and the right to assemble.
“But what we also made clear is these are qualified rights and they have got to be balanced against the rights of the rest of London and Londoners, the people, the businesses, the communities who want to lawfully go about their business.
“Where we’ve seen cases of both very serious and totally unreasonable disruption looking to be caused, we have to take action and move in and make arrests.”
Hurricane Larry expected to become Category 4 storm as it strengthens over Atlantic
Elsewhere, Hurricane Larry is expected to become a Category 4 storm as it builds in strength over the Atlantic Ocean and makes its way towards the Caribbean.
“Additional strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and Larry could become a major hurricane by tonight,” the National Hurricane Center said of the storm’s progress.
While Larry is unlikely to pose any direct threat to the US, it could see an increase in ocean currents on the eastern coast and a higher prevalence of dangerous rip tides.
Watch more here:
Hurricane Larry is expected to become a Category 4 storm
Extinction Rebellion: GP attacks JP Morgan for fossil fuel investments at protest
Video footage shows GP attacking JP Morgan after dozens of medical staff gathered outside the investment bank headquarters in London calling on it to divest from fossil fuels.
Metropolitan Police gathered at the Canary Wharf site with protesters lying on the floor while others stood behind a giant banner reading ‘stop funding fossil fuels’.
The large protest comes on the tenth day of the ongoing Impossible Rebellion which is a series of protests by Extinction Rebellion and related groups on environmental issues.
Watch here:
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