Extinction Rebellion activists appeared to hijack the Lord Mayor's Show in London on Saturday, protesting the results of the COP26 climate convention, which they deemed to be a "catastrophic failure".
The City of London Police Department announced that "a number of arrests" were made after the activists marched through the city streets that were engulfed by a cheerful parade and clashed with some officers.
"We are aware of a group of protestors in the City today", the police said on their Twitter account. "Officers are engaging with the group to minimise disruption. A number of arrests have been made".
Videos of the incidents emerged on social media, showing the protestors carrying some disturbing climate change-related installations around, holding posters saying "COP26 has failed" and squabbling with police officers.
One of the videos showed a group of protestors blocking the road and being tackled by law enforcement.
According to the Extinction Rebellion activists, "inaction from world leaders is nothing short of a crime against humanity", with the COP26 summit wrapping up a day ago.
COP26, also known as the UN Climate Change Conference, assembled world leaders in Glasgow so they could come up with a pathway to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement - a climate accord envisaging carbon neutrality and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
However, even though world leaders did discuss thorny issues like phasing out coal, ending subsidies for fossil fuel, and climate finance, the summit also received backlash from eco-activists. Among those who were left unsatisfied by the politicians' climate efforts was Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg. She made headlines after blasting world leaders and their COP26 aspirations with some sassy language, saying that the efforts they are taking are not enough.
The disrupted Lord Mayor's Show in London became one of the latest expressions of discontent over the outcome of the climate summit. Notably, the annual parade, which dates back to the early 13th century, was cancelled in 2020 for the first time since 1852 due to the raging coronavirus pandemic.