Climate change protesters will descend on central London today as part of what organisers described as the ‘next phase’ of a direct action strategy.

The environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion UK (XR UK) claims to have recruited five times as many supporters as it had during five days of protests in April which saw blockades of four major sites in the city.

Coaches departing from Edinburgh and Glasgow for the latests actions have sold out, as the group pledged occupations would last for up to two weeks, in an attempt to shut down the heart of government.

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On its website the group said it was part of an international rebellion. “Together, we will peacefully occupy the centres of power and shut them down until governments act on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.” Members of the group are planning to blockade all roads into the central London area and say protests will continue for 14 days or until their demands are met.

Sites expected to be targeted include Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade, The Mall and Westminster and Vauxhall Bridges. However the group says its activists will be ready to move “like water” if they are prevented from reaching targeted sites by police.

Different national and political groupings within the movement are planning to disrupt different targets. Scottish protestors have allied with campaigners from the North of England and pledged to support the overall XR strategy by attempting to blockade a site connected to the fossil fuel industry. Under the heading ‘Scotland’s plan’, they say “We will organise our own independent site, in collaboration with rebels from the North East of England and Cumbria. Our site location, actions and messaging will focus on the fossil fuel industry, highlighting the links between government, corruption and the crimes of fossil fuel corporations.”

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On Saturday, Police arrested ten people during a raid on premises in Kennington, South London being used by environmental protestors ahead of this weeks actions. XR said officers had seized tents, toilets and other equipment. However the group added: “As police got ready to bring down the door, quick-witted rebels inside the building were carrying priority gear to safety through the back exit.” An XR spokesman also claimed the “escalation” of tactics in a bid to pre-empt this week’s actions was evidence of the growing significance of the movement.

XR is campaigning for Governments around the world to take global warming more seriously.

The group’s three demands are for Governments to ‘tell the truth’ by declaring a climate and ecological emergency. They stress that this must be accompanied by action to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025. Thirdly, they are seeking a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecological justice.

During protests in London in April activists glued and chained themselves to locations in and around Parliament Square, while in Edinburgh a group occupied North Bridge for seven hours.