UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal
LONDON (AA) - The U.K. police on Tuesday said they have arrested 209 climate change protesters since Monday evening.
The updated number by police came after more than a 100 overnight arrests as the protest brought London to a standstill with some roads in the city blocked since Monday morning.
London Metropolitan Police issued a public order act as of Monday evening, which means that protesters should leave the scene when they are asked to. "The same condition has been implemented to those in the Oxford Circus area," police said.
“The Metropolitan Police Service is currently dealing with a number of demonstrations taking place across London," Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove said in an earlier statement.
“We have officers out on the ground engaging with protestors and local communities to ensure proportionate policing plans are in place,” Wingrove said.
“We need to ensure we are striking the right balance between allowing the right to a peaceful protest, while ensuring disruption to communities is kept to a minimum,” he added.
The protesters have blocked Waterloo Bridge, one of the main passages across River Thames as well as Marble Arch and Oxford Circus areas in central London.
The organizers, Extinction Rebellion, a grassroots activist movement, have said they plan to continue the protests throughout the week.
The protesters are demanding the government to declare a state of "climate emergency" and reforms "to address climate change as an educational priority".