Police arrested Extinction Rebellion protesters who blocked the lord mayor’s show in central London on Saturday. Footage shared on social media showed officers dragging demonstrators out of the road after they disrupted the procession. Environmental activists could be seen blocking the route in the City of London, while forcing riders on horseback and the new lord mayor’s golden state coach to stop. A City of London police spokesperson said: “We are aware of a group of protesters in the City today. City of London police officers are engaging with the group to minimise disruption. A number of arrests have been made.” After police removed the protesters, the parade was able to continue and Vincent Keaveny was sworn in at the royal courts of justice as the 693rd person to hold the office. Extinction Rebellion said it was trying to deliver “the children’s charter” to the lord mayor, which read: “We stand here the day after Cop26, which has failed to bring about the action necessary to tackle the climate and ecological emergency, to call on you to prioritise the next seven generations above the short-term greed that focuses on wealth accumulation right here in the City of London.” It added that the action was in response to the “failure” of Cop26. Some protesters wore giant heads depicting Boris Johnson and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, while others locked themselves together in the roads. Miranda Duncombe, a mother and member of the XR Families group, told PA Media: “Cop has failed to deliver the transformative changes needed to keep us at 1.5C of warming, a complete betrayal of our children. “If the City of London was a country, it would be the ninth largest emitter in the world. The City’s banks and asset managers provide loans and investments for the projects and companies that are killing us. “I am here for my children’s future. Our government has failed to act to protect them. I’m calling for the City of London to divest from fossil fuels immediately for the children everywhere who are dying due to the climate crisis and those who will die in the future.” The lord mayor’s show has been held since the 13th century, with the newly elected lord mayor serving as the elected head of the City of London Corporation. Their terms last one year.