Climate change protesters glue themselves to London City Hall
Protesters have targeted London City Hall today in an alleged act of dissent against Sadiq Khan’s climate change policies.
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Conservative London Assembly member and local councillor Susan Hall tweeted an image of two people this morning, with their hands glued to the doors of the Greater London Assembly’s (GLA) headquarters.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told City A.M. they received reports at 10.30am of three people who had "attached themselves to the doors of City Hall".
Police later removed the protesters.
Hall, the deputy leader of the GLA Conservatives, said they were linked to activist group Extinction Rebellion, which took over several London landmarks for two weeks in April in protest against the government’s lack of action on climate change, although the group was unable to confirm this.
“It’s clear that Sadiq Khan’s message to the Extinction Rebellion this week that he sees them as ‘allies’ has encouraged them to continue their disruption,” Hall told City A.M.
“Now they’ve glued themselves to City Hall wasting yet more police time and stopping the public from entering their building.”
She tweeted: “Khan's ‘allies’ the #ExtinctionRebellion have glued themselves to City Hall. They are calling him their inspiration but criticising them for being all talk on #airquality instead of acting! Yet more police officers' time being wasted, and all because @SadiqKhan wants their votes”.
The protesters were pictured with a banner unfurled on the floor in front of them reading: “Everything must change,” reminiscent of Extinction Rebellion’s slogans throughout its most recent wave of protests, which shut down key London roads and bridges for a fortnight last month.
They also targeted the City of London's financial district – protesting against Goldman Sachs and glueing themselves outside the London Stock Exchange.
A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion told City A.M. today's action was not planned in its central offices and the group was trying to ascertain whether the protest was theirs, or rogue activism.
Hall added: “These protests have cost the police £7m so far at a time of soaring violent crime. The Mayor needs to stop trying to win their votes and start taking the side of Londoners who want the police to be tackling knife crime, not superglued middle class anarchists.”
Khan's "allies" the #ExtinctionRebellion have glued themselves to City Hall. They are calling him their inspiration but criticising them for being all talk on #airquality instead of acting! Yet more police officers' time being wasted, and all because @SadiqKhan wants their votes pic.twitter.com/xZxl80Qu3d
— Susan Hall AM (@Councillorsuzie) May 3, 2019
“This morning, protesters blocked the main entrance to City Hall by fixing themselves to the revolving doors with glue,” said a spokesperson for the GLA.
Read more: Extinction Rebellion founder wants to upend the UK's financial sector
“City Hall officials worked closely with the police to safely resolve the situation.”