The number of arrests reached 1,065 on 22 April and 53 people have so far been charged amid large-scale Extinction Rebellion environmentalist protests, which have been disrupting the UK capital for almost a week, London's Metropolitan Police Service stated.
Police "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", Scotland Yard said in a statement.
As of 10:00hrs on Monday, 22 April, 1,065 arrests have been made since Monday, 15 April in connection with ongoing Extinction Rebellion protests. 53 people have been charged https://t.co/gGPnHclVKW pic.twitter.com/mobgNu6CVA
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) 22 апреля 2019 г.
— Extinction Rebellion 🐝⌛️🦋 (@ExtinctionR) 22 апреля 2019 г.
The protesters have mainly been detained on charges of blocking traffic on London's key highways during rush hours and property damage.
The very last protester to be arrested on Waterloo Bridge last night was a 70 y.o. woman. She told my colleague @georginafstubbs that: "The world we are leaving for the children is going to be horrendous and we let it happen. So we have to stand up and fight.”#ExtinctionRebellion pic.twitter.com/OJZsdZuVSQ
— Victoria Jones (@VictoriaJonesPA) 22 апреля 2019 г.
READ MORE: New Climate Models Predict Earth Will Get Much Hotter, a Lot Sooner
Since 15 April, the activists have been moving through London, blocking Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus, and Parliament Square. The demonstrators have been demanding that politicians take action on climate change.