Extinction Rebellion Protesters Hold Up Birmingham City Centre

7 August 2019, 12:20 | Updated: 7 August 2019, 12:21

Protesters with Extinction Rebellion have caused major disruption to a key road artery into the city centre during rush hour

It was part of a continuing campaign to prompt action on climate change.

About 30 demonstrators took up position on the busy Belgrave Interchange, where the ring road and the Bristol Road meets the Pershore Road, causing hold-ups for for well over an hour.

The group would walk out into the carriageway for seven-minute periods, with some walking among the drivers explaining the reasons for the protest.

At one stage, officers with West Midlands Police, who were monitoring the demonstration, asked protesters to step out of the road amid reports of a woman in labour stuck in the queues.

Police also told the group to halt their protests altogether on one side of the carriageway, because drivers backed-up in vehicles sitting in the Queensway tunnels - which run through the city centre - were inhaling fumes.

A protester said: "Police asked us not to block this side of the road, because drivers are getting stuck in the tunnels.

"So they're concerned about people breathing in the air, because of the fumes."

Another demonstrator said they were "happy" to cooperate with police because the key was to get their message across.