Climate change protesters who have brought key parts of London to a standstill this month hit the City on Thursday morning in an effort to “swarm” the Square Mile and cause roadblocks targeting the financial sector.
Extinction Rebellion said in a statement on its website that it would “focus [on] the financial industry and the corrosive impacts of the financial sector on the world we live in”, adding that it would conduct “non-violent civil disobedient swarming on the roads of the City of London” in its last day of mass protests.
The protest kicked off with at least seven protesters wearing RoboCop-style masks “glueing” themselves to the front entrance of the London Stock Exchange as rush hour began.
Extinction Rebellion said on its website that this was to protest the listing of shares in mining and other extractive industry companies. “This institution literally trades in the devastation of our planet,” it said.
An organiser said there would be between 10 and 20 small groups “swarming” locations across the City throughout the day.
A group of more than 100 held a sustained sit-in in the middle of Fleet Street, adjacent to Goldman Sachs International, attracting five police vans and at least 20 officers. A line of protesters lay across the road, holding hands through plastic pipes. Just before 11am the police began making arrests.
Asked why Goldman had been targeted a protester, who gave the name Geraint, said it was “a big and well known bank”. He added that he believed protesters would be causing roadblocks that affected “at least 70 financial institutions in the City that fund fossil fuels and extractive industries”.
Another “swarm” of about 30 people was led by a young man holding a megaphone and carrying a large rucksack, who blocked traffic on Lower Thames Street and Southwark Bridge, two adjoining thoroughfares that connect the City with central London and south london.
One protester in this group, who did not give her name, explained: “We cross on the green man and then we fan out to block the road for seven minutes.”
The Lower Thames Street swarm prompted a cacophony of horn honks from irate drivers, which the protesters responded to by singing rebellion songs.
Protesters also targeted the Canary Wharf station, standing on the roof of Docklands Light Railway trains, holding banners and singing.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested during Extinction Rebellion protests which started on April 15, while more than 10,000 police officers have been deployed.
As of Wednesday evening, Scotland Yard had charged 69 people in connection with the protests.
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The City of London Police said on Twitter that “disruption is anticipated in the City today due to Extinction Rebellion’s fortnight of action. It’s likely the whole of the City will experience disruption to roads and the transport network.”
Swarming is a tactic the protesters describe on their Facebook page as a “simple and highly successful tactic of short-term roadblocks” that, “if done in tactical locations” can “cause targeted disruption or trigger a rapid spread to widescale gridlock” with the deployment of just a few people targeting tactical locations.
Organisers of the protests said a closing ceremony would be held at 6pm on Thursday at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park.
