Extinction Rebellion "Pauses" Protests As More Than One Thousand People Arrested

22 April 2019, 08:13 | Updated: 30 April 2019, 11:51

Police say more than 1,000 people have been arrested at climate change protests in the capital, as campaign group Extinction Rebellion announce a "pause" to disruption.

Campaign group Extinction Rebellion announce they are switching tactics for 'political negotiations' and will "pause" the disruption to central London, ending a weeklong closure of Waterloo Bridge.

Demonstrators occupied key sites in London for seven days, with 1,065 being arrested by police.

40 protesters have been charged "for various offences", including obstructing a highway and obstructing police.

Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Parliament Square and Waterloo Bridge are all now reopened to traffic after being blocked by those demonstrating.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "We remain in frequent contact with the organisers to ensure that the serious disruption to Londoners is brought to a close as soon as possible and that only lawful and peaceful protests continue."

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Around 20 people gathered near a roundabout between terminals at Heathrow Airport on Friday, but did not bring any disruption to passengers.

The Home Secretary had told police they could use the "full force of the law" to stop illegal demonstrations during the Easter break.

Extinction Rebellion is calling on the government to declare a 'climate emergency'.

The group wants the government to tell "the truth" about "how deadly our situation is", to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and to create a "citizens assembly" to oversee the changes.