Extinction Rebellion protest: Five arrested as activists 'occupy' City of London law firm

Five activists person reportedly been arrested aft Extinction Rebellion “occupied” the London office of an planetary instrumentality steadfast to request that it “cut ties with fossil fuels”.

The protesters targeted the City of London offices of A&O Shearman entering the lobby and spraying windows with fake oil.

The activists said the protest was an escalation from past week erstwhile Lawyers are Responsible, on with doctors and scientists, targeted 5 instrumentality firms including A&O Shearman.

Extinction Rebellion told the Standard that 5 activists had been arrested by 2pm connected Wednesday.

Footage from the protestation showed 1 activistic lying connected the level successful the instrumentality firm’s lobby earlier helium was dragged distant and carried to a constabulary van.

Dr Sara Melly from Hampshire, said astatine the protest: “The aboriginal is successful renewable vigor and successful prosecuting Big Oil for knowingly causing decease and demolition from planetary heating and clime change.

“We request A&O Shearman chopped their ties with the fossil substance manufacture immediately.”

In summation to this demand, Extinction Rebellion has called connected A&O Shearman employees to “refuse to enactment for their fossil substance clients oregon leave” and for caller ineligible endowment to “find enactment elsewhere”.

A fig dressed arsenic the Grim Reaper sat connected scaffolding extracurricular the entranceway to the building.

Black fume billowed from a flare helium held arsenic different protesters banged drums.

The activistic radical claimed that the instrumentality steadfast is liable for implicit £285 cardinal of fossil substance transactions.

Marcus Bailie, who travelled from South Wales to instrumentality portion successful the protest, said: “Many volition person seen the flooded houses and businesses featured successful nationalist news.

“That’s each radical are talking astir successful Pontypridd and everybody knows the cause.

“It is outrageous that A&O Shearman and different large instrumentality firms are inactive enabling fossil substance extraction.”

James Knapp, 58, besides astatine the protest, said: “Profiting from this suffering is unconscionable and reeks of hopeless greed.

“In the extremity nary of america tin past an overheated planet.”

A&O Shearman person been contacted for comment. The Met Police person besides been approached for details.