London climate protesters say they will end their blockades

LONDON – Climate change protesters who have brought parts of central London to a standstill for days say they will lift their blockades.

The group Extinction Rebellion says it will end its remaining demonstrations at Marble Arch and Parliament Square on Thursday.

Last week, the protesters blocked Waterloo Bridge and major intersections including Marble Arch and Oxford Circus, snarling traffic and disrupting bus routes.

The civil disobedience movement saw tented protest sites sprouting around the capital. More than 1,000 people were arrested as police tried to clear the sites, though only about 70 have been charged.

Extinction Rebellion thanked Londoners in a statement Wednesday, saying: “We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency.”