Extinction Rebellion protesters blockade BBC’s Broadcasting House

11 October 2019, 08:38

Extinction Rebellion protesters at the BBC's Broadcasting house this morning
Extinction Rebellion protesters at the BBC's Broadcasting house this morning. Picture: PA

By Asher McShane

Extinction rebellion protesters have blockaded the BBC's Broadcasting House in London.

A large group of protesters unfurled banners outside the broadcaster's London centre, blocking staff from entering the building.

Yesterday the group caused chaos at London's City Airport, disrupting flights as part of their ongoing 'shutdown' of sites in London.

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Financial journalist Paul Lewis tweeted: "Locked out of BBC by extinction rebellion."

Hesham Shawish posted online: "Extinction Rebellion protesters have blocked the entrances at BBC Broadcasting House this morning."

The protesters had unfurled a large banner reading "This is an emergency."

They were filmed chanting "Extinction Rebellion" over and over while BBC workers looked on, unable to get to work.

Police said more than 1,000 arrests had been made over the course of the protests so far.

Police branded one activist reckless and dangerous for climbing on top of a plane.

The fourth day of Extinction Rebellion demonstrations focused on London City Airport, where protesters attempted a "Hong Kong-style occupation of the terminal building" with hundreds blocking the main entrance.

Activists also blocked the entrance road, climbed on to the terminal roof and glued themselves to the entrance of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station serving the east London airport.

Extinction Rebellion claims planned expansion of the airport is incompatible with meeting the Government's legally binding commitment to cut emissions to net-zero by 2050.

An Aer Lingus flight from City Airport to Dublin was delayed when a protester on board stood up to deliver a lecture on climate change just as the plane was due to take off.

And one man, identified by Extinction Rebellion as former Paralympic cyclist James Brown, who is visually impaired, managed to get on top of a British Airways plane at the airport.

His actions were branded "reckless, stupid and dangerous" by Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.