York protesters have been playing their full part in the climate change protests in London, as this photograph demonstrates.
It shows Extinction Rebellion York organiser Merry Dickinson being carried away by police officers after she had helped to block Waterloo Bridge in the capital.
Merry, Mark Matthews and three others from the York group were arrested on the bridge on Tuesday (16 April).
All were released ‘under investigation’ except one of the group who has been charged with a public order offence.
Mark told YorkMix this morning (Thursday):
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Everyone was released and we’re all okay now!
As for the York contingent, we’ve been busy holding both Parliament Square and Wellington Bridge on different days.
A bunch of us have only just finished holding Parliament Square after a large number of police tried to claim it.
We successfully managed to hold them off and are now in full control of Parliament Square again.
Altogether 340 people had been arrested by Wednesday evening during ongoing protests in Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.
Protest continues
Her actions gained a lot of support on the group, with Debs Nicholson’s comment typical: “Thank you Merry and all of you who’ve been down there. So proud of you!”
Activists said they plan to continue their roadblocks, which have affected more than half a million people with road closures, traffic gridlock and disruption to transport and businesses since Monday, until at least next Friday.
You can see Merry at a York protest in our video below, and read a piece she co-authored here.
In the video she says:
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Getting arrested and going to prison is an impact on my life and it is undeniably scary.
But the alternative is so much scarier and so much worse that I can’t sit back and not take action any more.