More than 200 arrests at London climate change protests

More than 200 people have been arrested during a second day of climate protests which have caused serious disruption in London.

Extinction Rebellion demonstrations have been taking place at Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

The Metropolitan Police said the protests were causing serious disruption to public transport and local businesses, with 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected.

Motorists faced gridlocked traffic on a number of alternative routes, such as Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.

At about 5.45pm, police said 209 people had been arrested in connection with the demonstrations.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage following disruption outside commercial premises in Lambeth on Monday and have since been released under investigation.

The other 204 people were were arrested on Waterloo Bridge on Monday night and throughout Tuesday for Public Order Act offences, obstructing a highway and one for obstructing police.

The Met said it had imposed a 24-hour condition on Waterloo Bridge on Monday evening telling protesters to continue any demonstrations in the Marble Arch area.

The same condition was then imposed in the Oxford Circus area at 4.45pm on Tuesday

The force said: "We are taking positive action against those who are choosing to ignore this condition and are continuing to demonstrate in other areas across London.

"Officers are out on the ground engaging with protesters and local communities to ensure proportionate policing plans are in place.

"There is a need to ensure the right balance is struck between allowing the right to peaceful protest, while disruption to communities is kept to a minimum."

The Met warned that demonstrations are expected to continue "throughout the coming weeks".

Dozens of protesters were dragged away from Waterloo Bridge by police at around 1pm on Tuesday.

As a large group of officers arrived to remove the campaigners, they were met with chants of? "We are peaceful, what about you?"

There were loud cheers, the ringing of bells, and the blowing of whistles as people were quickly arrested and taken to police vans.

Campaigners crowded and rallied around a man who was screaming "This is a fascist police state", as he was confronted by officers.

Many protesters remained on the bridge, chanting for climate justice and refusing to move.

Extinction Rebellion said it aimed to cause more than £6,000 of damage so activists could be tried by a jury in Crown Court.

The campaign group described those arrested as "brave rebels".

Four activists chained and glued themselves underneath a lorry parked on Waterloo Bridge, where they slept on Monday night.

The campaigners had blankets and sleeping bags, and declared they will stay there as long as possible.

Ben Moss, 42, from Islington, north London, glued himself to the bars of the lorry.

He said: "We're in an extreme situation, we have to take action. This is my personal action to the moral issue of the climate crisis and ecological collapse.

"I'm doing this because I want the Government to do something.

"I've got a week off work – if more is necessary I can make my excuses. I'm a director of a company, I work at a co-operative, but not everyone can come and do this."

A Transport for London spokesman said: "There are demonstrations taking place across London which are causing disruption to some bus services and on the road network.

"The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we're working closely with the police to manage the impact on London's transport network.

"We would encourage people to check their journeys before they travel."