More than 20 climate protesters held in London

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - At least 23 climate protesters have been arrested in London on the first day of a two-week-long planned rallies and blockades by an activist group, Extinction Rebellion.

The arrests came over “suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance,” London Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

The Extinction Rebellion aims to force the government to declare an “urgent action” on climate change.

Hundreds of protesters blocked roads around Millbank, Embankment, Parliament Street, Lambeth Bridge, The Mall and the Trafalgar Square.

London protesters are part of the International Rebellion -- a worldwide action to urge governments to act against the “climate change emergency”.

“The UK Government passed a motion to make a declaration of a climate & environment emergency May 1 but have failed to #ActNow. This is why @XRebellionUK is occupying & shutting down centres of power from today as our #InternationalRebellion continues”, the group wrote on Twitter.

More than a thousand protesters were arrested by police during protests the group staged in London in July, with hundreds of them are expected to appear in courts starting from this week.

Demonstrations are taking place simultaneously around the world.

Hundreds of German protesters are staging a sit-in around the Brandenburg Gate. In Amsterdam, protesters blocked a bridge with a human barricade.

Protests also began in Australia and New Zealand, where hundreds of people blocked streets.