Hundreds of people have gathered in front of the UK Parliament in Central London on Tuesday as the environmental group, Extinction Rebellion (XR), begins two weeks of disruption across the United Kingdom, a Sputnik correspondent reports
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st September, 2020) Hundreds of people have gathered in front of the UK Parliament in Central London on Tuesday as the environmental group, Extinction Rebellion (XR), begins two weeks of disruption across the United Kingdom, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
XR protesters said the sit-in demonstration at Parliament Square is aimed at pressing lawmakers and the government to take direct actions on climate change.
They intend to be on the streets until parliament passes the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, a private member's bill written by scientists, lawyers and activists that will be tabled on Wednesday by Green Party lawmaker Caroline Lucas, XR spokesperson Rupert Read told Sputnik.
An activist, who identified herself by the name of Brett, said that she was attending the demonstration together with her mother because she was thinking about her child�s future.
"I think there some governments are attempting to make some changes, but it is too little too late. We need much faster actions immediately. We need to reduce our carbon emissions to ideally nothing as soon as possible," she stressed.
Sophie Little Jones, from the Christian Climate Action group, also criticized the UK government for not doing enough to fight climate change.
"As Christians, we are very concerned about what is happening to the Earth, and we are feeling that the government is doing not near enough to make sure that our future and the future of the Earth are kept safe," the climate activist told Sputnik.
Most of the people taking part in the protest gathered in Parliament Square, but several tens more sat on the adjacent roads, blocking the traffic, as they were encouraged by one of the speakers to "hold the roads as much as we can.".
"We demand to be heard, to apply informed solutions to these ecological crises and to create a national assembly by which to initiate those solutions needed to change our present cataclysmic course", reads the Declaration of Rebellion.
A heavy police presence could be seen around Parliament Square as the protest goes on, and according to Sky news broadcaster at least five climate protesters had been arrested.
XR, whose protests last year brought Central London to a standstill for several days, has been out of the streets for the last five months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, has encouraged participants to wear face masks and respect social distancing measures, but current restrictions do not allow gatherings of the more than 30 people.
