Extinction Rebellion: Climate activists stage Earth Day demonstration

Thousands of Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists person marked Earth Day with a objection successful cardinal London.

Members of the clime radical gathered astatine Parliament Square, successful Westminster, connected Saturday, for the 2nd time of what they are calling "The Big One".

Some wore fancy dress, including red-robes and masks of King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Chris Packham warned the satellite is "in crisis" during a code to the crowds.

The wildlife presenter told protesters their "mission" was to "build arsenic wide a assemblage arsenic possible".

"Our satellite is successful situation and if we don't instrumentality enactment past we volition not support that life, which includes us," the 61-year-old said.

Jo from Bristol told BBC News helium came to the objection due to the fact that helium wanted to "send a connection to the authorities that we are not going to basal by until we get change".

Another demonstrator, who is simply a retired nurse, added that "a batch of wellness professionals that are moving present are seeing much and much the impacts of clime alteration connected people's health, the aerial quality, the heat".

The family-friendly rallies and marches implicit the play people a alteration for the radical which is has been known for its disruptive tactics, including blocking roads, throwing overgarment and smashing windows.

Rob Callender, enactment co-ordinator from Extinction Rebellion, explained the radical was adopting a caller peaceful attack aft proceeding from the nationalist that disruption "is a barrier".

Elsewhere successful London, thousands much activists staged a "die-in" connected Saturday by laying connected the pavement astatine The Mall arsenic portion of their efforts to pass astir what they said was the aboriginal extinction of humanity owed to planetary warming.

The activists said the "die-in" shows that "humans and quality volition not past if thing is done astir clime change".

Saturday's enactment marks the 2nd of 4 organised days of protests.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said helium hopes "there is nary disruption by XR oregon anybody else".

The radical has said it has worked with the organisers to guarantee the marathon volition not beryllium disrupted.