London climate change activists continue protest after more than 700 arrested

Climate change protesters returned to march on central London on Saturday as police said more than 700 people have been arrested since the demonstrations began on Monday. Organisers of the so-called "Extinction Rebellion" protests have called for non-violent civil disobedience to force the British government to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025. Demonstrators on Saturday had blocked streets in Oxford Circus and gathered at Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square. Earlier a pink boat, which was seen as the centre-piece of the group, was dismantled. Demonstrators that were chained to the boat were forcibly removed by police on Friday. One activist told the BBC: "We need to make maximum impact to really get the government to start to listen to us and to take action on climate change. "We have tried in the past just standing in a designated place with placards, and doing a peaceful protest in one place with no disruption — it just hasn't worked." Police had urged activists to confine their protests to Marble Arch only and said more than 718 people were arrested since 15 April, with 28 charged. Climate change protests were also held in Paris on Friday, where demonstrators blocked the entrance of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy and Sustainable Development. Activists put up posters reading "Macron, President of polluters".