Climate activists block LSE entry
London: Environmental activists who have brought disruption to the British capital for more than a week blocked the main entrance to the London Stock Exchange on Thursday, gluing themselves to the doorway while wearing LED displays reading "climate emergency."
Several demonstrators also climbed atop a train at Canary Wharf station in east London's business district as they focused on the city's financial centres during a final day of protests in the capital.
The group Extinction Rebellion said it was targeting the financial services industry for "funding climate and ecological destruction."
Activists held signs saying "business as usual = death" and "don't jail the canaries." Both groups of demonstrators were removed by police and taken away in vans.
The exchange, which has no trading floor, continued to function as normal. Since April 15, peaceful demonstrations have disrupted transportation by targeting bridges, intersections and commuter trains.
More than 10,000 police officers have been deployed and around 1,000 people have been arrested, though only about 70 have been charged.
Extinction Rebellion says it will end its remaining blockades at Marble Arch and Parliament Square on Thursday.
The group thanked Londoners in a statement Wednesday, saying: "We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency."