Climate change protesters in London caused major disruptions for commuters on Thursday, climbing on top of buses and trains and attempting to glue themselves to the roofs.
The Associated Press reported that video taken of the morning’s demonstrations showed protesters at multiple rail stations and bus stops climbing on top of trains and buses. One man was seen being grabbed by the leg and pulled off a train roof by an angry commuter. The man later successfully glued himself to the train’s roof.
“I’m doing this for my grandchildren,” an 83-year-old protester said in a video released by Extinction Rebellion, which hosted the protests, as he glued his hand to the side of a train.{mosads}
London Mayor Sadiq Khan issued a statement condemning the protests, arguing that they were “illegal” and “extremely dangerous.”
“This illegal action is extremely dangerous, counterproductive, and is causing unacceptable disruption to Londoners who use public transportation to get to work,” Khan said. “It is also an unfair burden on our already overstretched police officers.”
A spokesman for Extinction Rebellion told the AP that “this is what we must do” until climate change is taken seriously by world leaders.
“None of us want to inconvenience ordinary people,” the spokesperson said. “That’s why we’re doing this in the morning when it will impact business as usual, and not in the evening, when people want to get home to be with their loved ones.”