CLIMATE protesters kicked off a third day of demonstrations as they continued to occupy key sites in London yesterday.

Many activists travelled from Brighton to take part in the non-violent Extinction Rebellion “shutdown” of the capital.

Protesters have blocked traffic at Parliament Square, Marble Arch, Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus since Monday, turning

traffic-rammed commuting hotspots into quiet parks full of skateboarders and cyclists.

But as the protests continued, the number of arrests in the capital climbed above 300, with the Met Police saying they had “contingency plans” if jails became full.

Martin Gardener from Brighton says he was arrested at Waterloo Bridge.

But he said activists were not scared of police action and the Met had been “very calm”.

He added: “It’s worth it for the cause that we’re trying to promote

“It’s the best way for more people to find out.

“The more we can get arrested, the better because it shows we’re having an impact. I think overall the police have been very calm.

“It’s been completely peaceful. We’re not here just for the day to wreck everything, we’re occupying London and holding these sites for as long as we can until proper action is taken.

“Take a look at Waterloo Bridge – that was supposed to be the Garden Bridge but the mayor of London cancelled it, now we’ve made our own in a few days. There’s people on bikes and skateboards, every carbon-free mode of transport you can think of.”

The third day of protests was marked by two major stunts.

At 11am three activists glued themselves to a Docklands Light Railway train, causing an hour of disruption.

Then four protesters chained themselves outside Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s home.

But despite the number of arrests, Brighton academic Neil Howard said the atmosphere at Parliament Square was like a “spring fete”.

He said: “It’s so calm and quiet, people are playing music here on stage. In all of my years of activism I’ve never been at a protest that has felt so welcoming. There’s kids of all ages here as well as pensioners all having a great time. It’s not like the student protests a decade ago where there was riot police and kettling. The police have mostly been very understanding.”

Protester Alison Plaumer, from Brighton, said every member of the public she spoke to was supportive and co-operative.