A Brighton climate change protester was one of more than a thousand arrested during the Extinction Rebellion protests this week.
Joshua Froimovici, an IT consultant from Preston Park, was arrested under a section 14 order on Tuesday afternoon while blockading a part of Whitehall in London.
The hundred of activists calling on the government to take urgent action on the climate and ecological crisis. include a large contingency from Brighton and Hove.
As of last night, 1,112 people had been arrested by the Metropolitan Police.
Joshua, 46, said: “The point behind me taking part in the disruption in the capital and getting arrested was to send a clear message to the government that members of the public expect it to act according to the scientific community’s recommendations when it comes to the climate and ecological emergency.
“It’s easy to ignore petitions, letters to MPs and non-disruptive protests. The only way to get the government to listen is to disrupt business-as-usual.”
Despite concerted efforts by the police to clear the site, the Whitehall blockade, right at the very heart of the UK government, held strong from Monday morning until midnight on Wednesday.
On Monday and Tuesday nights, activists, some of them locked together, braved rain, cold and the threat of arrest to maintain their position overnight.
On Wednesday, many Brighton activists spent a large part of the day sat in the road directly in front of the Cabinet Office.
At one point, Michael Gove, who was the Minister for the Environment until late July, came out of the building, wedged between two aides or security personnel.
He hurried off without addressing the gathered throng of frightened citizens, there to demand his government act to save their children’s futures.
Throughout the blockade the atmosphere was friendly and peaceful, even though arrests were made on a regular basis. When the police moved their line forwards at intermittent intervals, only those activists willing to be arrested stayed behind.
As arrests were taking place, the crowd would chant, “Police, police, we love you. We’re doing this for your children too.” During the blockade, Extinction Rebellion Brighton’s samba band played to the crowd on the other side of another police line, further down Whitehall.
The blockade was brought to an uplifting conclusion at midnight last night (Wednesday), with Extinction Rebellion activists leaving the site in a procession – after dancing and a live DJ set.
On Thursday, many Brighton activists moved to City Airport and on Friday, protesters were at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in Portland Place.
Joshua, you are a hero. So brave to be arrested. Tha k you.