On Friday, two Animal Rebellion activists were arrested on suspicion of smearing carpets and display cases with food in stores with milk. Nine other protesters from the group have been arrested for emptying paint cans onto windows and floors of shops and a restaurant. Eighteen activists who blocked Westminster Bridge on Saturday night and refused to leave were also arrested. So did three others who were caught with fire extinguishers filled with paint. Other activists were handcuffed for obstructing traffic.
24 people linked to the Just Stop Oil group were arrested Saturday for blocking a highway. Another 47 protesters from the same group were detained Sunday afternoon as they closed roads near Piccadilly Circus.
Chief Inspector Chris Green, who led the police operation, said the police intervention had “minimised disturbance in central London”. “We fully support peaceful protest and will always try to work with organizers so that protests can take place safely, but the public rightly expects us to respond quickly and effectively when protest crosses the line into crime.”