London Marathon: Spectators urged to avoid climate protesters

The final stretch of the race near Parliament Square will be "very busy", organisers have warned

Spectators planning to attend the London Marathon have been urged to avoid a famous part of the route due to a planned environmental protest.

The Extinction Rebellion (XR) group has said 30,000 people could take part in a demonstration at Parliament Square in central London from Friday to Monday.

The warning comes after the Just Stop Oil group disrupted the World Snooker Championship earlier this week.

However, XR said it had "no intention" of disrupting Sunday's marathon.

Hugh Brasher, event director for the TCS London Marathon, advised people to watch the race from other locations, as the area around Parliament Square was likely to be "very busy".

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In a tweet on Wednesday, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps condemned XR. "Those who idiotically put £MILLIONS in marathon donations at risk must be stopped," his tweet said.

More than 40,000 runners are expected to take part in the event, which raised over £58m for charities last year.

'Logistical disruption'

XR's programme for the protests states that "the final stretch" of the London Marathon will "intersect with" its rally, "providing an opportunity to connect with and support those running in the marathon for causes amplified by the climate crisis".

The group's co-founder Clare Farrell said XR had been in contact with marathon organisers since November to ensure both events could "support one another".

On Tuesday, the group said the protest might cause some "logistical disruption" in the area.

The Metropolitan Police said it had been in contact with XR ahead of the event in an "effort to avoid serious disruption".

The force said people could expect a "visible, engaging but firm policing presence" at the marathon and it would be "using specialist officers to respond to any protesters who lock or glue themselves to street furniture or purpose-built structures".

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