Nearly 300 activists arrested in London climate change protests

Nearly 300 climate change activists have been arrested after roads were blocked in central London, amid protests aimed at shutting the capital.

Demonstrators began blocking off a bridge and major central road junctions on Monday at the start of a civil disobedience campaign that also saw action in other parts of Europe.

The protests were organized by the campaign group Extinction Rebellion, which was established last year in Britain by academics and has become one of the world's fastest-growing environmental movements.

Up to 500,000 people were affected by the diversion of 55 bus routes.

The Met said 290 people had been arrested. During protests in Edinburgh, 29 arrests were made.

Organizers said protests had been held in more than 80 cities across 33 countries.

In London, motorists face gridlocked traffic on a number of alternative routes, such as Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.

Transport for London warned bus users that routes would remain on diversion or terminate early.

The majority arrested were seized for breaching public order laws and obstructing a highway.

The protest saw more than a thousand people block off central London's Waterloo Bridge and lay trees in pots along its length. Later, people set up camps in Hyde Park in preparation for further demonstrations throughout the week.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said although he "shared the passion" of the activists, he was "extremely concerned" about plans some had to disrupt the Tube on Wednesday.

"Ongoing demonstrations are causing serious disruption to public transport, local businesses, and Londoners who wish to go about their daily business," Ch Supt Colin Wingrove, of the Met, said.

Campaigners have been ordered to restrict their protests to Marble Arch after they caused widespread disruption on Monday. That order will continue until 21:10 on Friday.

Khan said it was "absolutely crucial" to get more people to use public transport to tackle climate change, and urged the protesters not to disrupt the Tube.

"Targeting public transport in this way would only damage the cause of all of us who want to tackle climate change, as well as risking Londoners' safety, and I'd implore anyone considering doing so to think again," he said.

But Extinction Rebellion has said it wanted to "shut down London" until 29 April.

It called for "reinforcements" to help maintain the roadblock at Waterloo Bridge.