Climate change protesters have warned of starvation in the UK as hundreds of activists caused major disruption in a mass demonstration on London bridges.

Gail Bradbrook, one of the organisers of Saturday’s Extinction Rebellion sit-down protests on five central London bridges, claimed that if the Government does not change environmental policy, “we could easily be facing starvation in the UK if the weather effect continues as it is”.

“We need to be building resilience in our communities,” she added.

Dr Bradbrook said: “We’ve basically got three demands: one is that the Government have to tell the truth. People think that climate change is something happening to somebody else at some other time, but it’s coming home.

“We need to go to net zero carbon really quickly. And we’re also asking for a people’s assembly so people can decide how the change happens.

“We’ll know when governments are doing different things, it could feel like a war, a beautiful war. It’s going to be huge.”

Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge
Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge (John Stillwell/PA)

Saturday’s action on Lambeth, Westminster, Waterloo, Blackfriars and Southwark bridges gave bands and speakers the opportunity to address the crowds, before a planned gathering in Parliament Square later.

It follows a week of protests around the UK under the banner Extinction Rebellion.

On Monday, 22 people were arrested after protesters blocked traffic and glued themselves to entry gates at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Activists outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Activists outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (John Stillwell/PA)

On Wednesday, more activists were detained following action near Downing Street and at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Westminster.

The organisers estimate that 50 people have been arrested for protest action this week.

On Saturday, campaigners expressed anger at the current state of climate policy.

Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge
Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge (John Stillwell/PA)

Lewis, who described himself as being involved in environmental civil disobedience for more than 10 years, claimed current trends are making the world “uninhabitable”.

He said: “We’re living in a time where we know we’re destroying the planet through our activities causing dangerous quantities of CO2.

“We’re destroying the life systems on which we depend and are on course to turn the planet into something uninhabitable.”