Sadiq Khan: Climate Activists must win over the public

Sadiq Khan has said climate activists must “win over public opinion” as he accused Extinction Rebellion of being “counterproductive” following disruption on Friday morning, writes Joe Talora, Local Democracy Reporter.

Traffic was brought to a standstill on Tower Bridge for four hours on Friday as Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists blocked the road in both directions and revealed a banner on the side of the bridge calling for an end to fossil fuels.

Footage posted to social media showed an XR activist abseiling over the side of Tower Bridge to unfurl the banner, while the group later confirmed that two of its activists were suspended from the bridge during the four-hour shutdown.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the actions of Extinction Rebellion protesters could “discourage” others from joining the fight against climate change.