More than 200 people have been arrested during a second day of climate protests which have caused serious disruption in London.

Extinction Rebellion demonstrations have been taking place at Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

The Metropolitan Police said the protests were causing serious disruption to public transport and local businesses, with 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected.

Motorists faced gridlocked traffic on a number of alternative routes, such as Westminster Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.

At about 5.45pm, police said 209 people had been arrested in connection with the demonstrations.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage following disruption outside commercial premises in Lambeth on Monday and have since been released under investigation.

Demonstrators during the Extinction Rebellion protest
Demonstrators during the Extinction Rebellion protest (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

The other 204 people were were arrested on Waterloo Bridge on Monday night and throughout Tuesday for Public Order Act offences, obstructing a highway and one for obstructing police.

The Met said it had imposed a 24-hour condition on Waterloo Bridge on Monday evening telling protesters to continue any demonstrations in the Marble Arch area.

The same condition was then imposed in the Oxford Circus area at 4.45pm on Tuesday.

The force confirmed at about 7.50pm on Tuesday that a “number of arrests” had been made in the Oxford Circus area, but did not give details of how many or on what grounds.

It said: “We are taking positive action against those who are choosing to ignore this condition and are continuing to demonstrate in other areas across London.

“Officers are out on the ground engaging with protesters and local communities to ensure proportionate policing plans are in place.

“There is a need to ensure the right balance is struck between allowing the right to peaceful protest, while disruption to communities is kept to a minimum.”

The Met warned that demonstrations are expected to continue “throughout the coming weeks”.

Extinction Rebellion said it is planning to “non-violently disrupt Tube services to highlight the emergency of ecological collapse” on Wednesday if the Government does not meet its members.

It added: “Participants will peacefully break the law in order to stop the Tube and then will wait to be arrested.

“We sincerely apologise to all those who may suffer as a consequence of this disruption. In any other circumstances we would never dream of disrupting the Tube but this is an emergency.”

But London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that while he shared the passion of the protesters about the urgent need to tackle climate change he was “extremely concerned” about plans to disrupt the London Underground.

In a statement posted on Twitter he said: “It is absolutely crucial to get more people using public transport, as well as walking and cycling, if we are to tackle this climate emergency – and millions of Londoners depend on the Underground network to get about their daily lives in our city.

“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.”

Dozens of protesters were dragged away from Waterloo Bridge by police at around 1pm on Tuesday.

As a large group of officers arrived to remove the campaigners, they were met with chants of? “We are peaceful, what about you?”

There were loud cheers, the ringing of bells, and the blowing of whistles as people were quickly arrested and taken to police vans.

Campaigners crowded and rallied around a man who was screaming “This is a fascist police state”, as he was confronted by officers.

Extinction Rebellion protests
A demonstrator is arrested during the second day of an Extinction Rebellion protest on Waterloo Bridge in London (Kirsty O’Connor/PA Images).

Many protesters remained on the bridge, chanting for climate justice and refusing to move.

Extinction Rebellion said it aimed to cause more than £6,000 of damage so activists could be tried by a jury in Crown Court.

The campaign group described those arrested as “brave rebels”.

Demonstrators on Waterloo Bridge
Demonstrators on Waterloo Bridge (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Four activists chained and glued themselves underneath a lorry parked on Waterloo Bridge, where they slept on Monday night.

The campaigners had blankets and sleeping bags, and declared they will stay there as long as possible.

Ben Moss, 42, from Islington, north London, glued himself to the bars of the lorry.

Demonstrators chain and glue themselves to a lorry on Waterloo Bridge
Demonstrators chain and glue themselves to a lorry on Waterloo Bridge (Ted Hennessey/PA)

He said: “We’re in an extreme situation, we have to take action. This is my personal action to the moral issue of the climate crisis and ecological collapse.

“I’m doing this because I want the Government to do something.

“I’ve got a week off work – if more is necessary I can make my excuses. I’m a director of a company, I work at a co-operative, but not everyone can come and do this.”

A Transport for London spokesman said: “There are demonstrations taking place across London which are causing disruption to some bus services and on the road network.

“The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we’re working closely with the police to manage the impact on London’s transport network.

“We would encourage people to check their journeys before they travel.”