Hard going: Extinction Rebellion targets London’s largest concrete factory
Extinction Rebellion has voiced its anger over climate change outside the Houses of Parliament, the Bank of England, and the Royal Courts of Justice in recent months.
But today demonstrators in the capital descended upon a less typical place of protest: London’s largest concrete factory.
Read more: Extinction Rebellion launches summer uprising across the UK
A group of 50 activists have blocked the entrance to London Concrete in Bow, warning that they will disrupt the area for the day.
The so-called “peaceful rebels” are setting up shop outside the east London site due to their concerns over the factory supplying concrete for a major road tunnel project under the River Thames.
Tens of activists held a banner with the words “the air that we grieve” on it.
Eleanor McAree, 25, from Extinction Rebellion, said that concrete had a “huge environmental impact and building another tunnel will only make air pollution across East London worse”.
The latest protest comes as part of a ‘summer uprising’, which earlier this week saw campaigners using five boats to block roads in Cardiff, Glasgow, bristol, Leeds and London, calling for action on climate change from authorities.
Police warned that the road closures could limit the ability of emergency services to respond to calls from the public.
Read more: Extinction Rebellion threatens to shut down Heathrow third runway with drones
Activists gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice, pulling a boat onto the Strand and blocking traffic.
According to Extinction Rebellion, a thousand people have said they are willing to risk arrest and a further 500 are willing to go to prison if necessary.
The protests are set to continue until 20 July.
Image credit: Extinction Rebellion