Extinction Rebellion: 'Mass rebellions' and stunts planned

Extinction Rebellion has begun a 10-day protest, its first campaign since lockdown rules were eased.

The environmental campaign group has gathered in cities across the UK, including London, Manchester and Cardiff. It says it plans to protest until 10 September.

In London, the group has targeted well-known sites including Parliament Square, Tate Britain museum, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Cathedral.

The group wants MPs to support its ideas for changes to help the environment.

Extinction Rebellion has already received a letter from London's Metropolitan Police to remind it that organisers of any group gathering of more than 30 people will face fines of £10,000.

Air travel targeted

Extinction Rebellion is targeting airports and the aviation industry in its protests

The group is also focusing its campaigning on UK airports. It is asking the aviation industry not to return to "business as usual" after the Coronavirus pandemic.

Activists are set to gather around airports including Luton, Leeds Bradford and Stansted.

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said: "Many of us feel a desperate need to put pressure on them now, not wait until next year when the world has been pulled back to business as usual."

On Monday, activists demonstrated outside Transport for London offices in Stratford, east London, to highlight the deaths linked to air pollution from traffic. They dressed as banshees, which are mythical creatures who according to folklore, shrieked to mourn the death of family members.

They were also protesting to oppose plans for a new tunnel in east London.

Some other stunts the group have planned are a "carnival of corruption" outside government offices, a "walk of shame" near the Bank of England, and a silent protest outside Buckingham Palace.

A protester in London

What is Extinction Rebellion?

Extinction Rebellion describes itself as an "international movement" which uses "non-violent methods to encourage those in power to take action on climate and environment issues".

The group, which calls itself "XR" for short, was launched in 2018 and says it now has groups in several other countries.

Police in central London during the 2020 Extinction Rebellion protests

What does Extinction Rebellion want?

The group has three demands which it wants people in power to take action on.

It wants the government to declare a "climate and ecological emergency" and work together with other institutions to help spread the message calling for things to change.

It wants the UK to "act now" to stop loss of habitat and reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025.

And it wants a special group called a Citizens' Assembly to be put together. It would be made up of people from across society, to decide how to solve the climate crisis, with advice from experts.