CLIMATE change protestors who took to the streets of Taunton recently have been in the capital city this week as part of a major demonstration.

The Samba band from South Somerset - who were in Taunton on April 4 - was playing both at the occupation of Waterloo Bridge and supporting the Young People’s march from Hyde Park Corner to Piccadilly Circus in London on Monday (April 15).

There were also teams from across Somerset - people from Taunton, Yeovil, Frome, Somerton, Langport, Ilminster and elsewhere - joining protestors from all corners of the UK, according to a spokesman for the Somerset branch.

"London was a paradise for walkers and cyclists with traffic almost completely excluded from some of the city’s main thoroughfares," he said.

"Waterloo Bridge has been turned into a garden, there is even a lawn on it. And by (the) evening there was a stage with music and dancing, a kitchen preparing the evening meal, straw bales for the sitting out area and pots of plants and shrubs and even trees.

"There was a pink boat in the middle of Oxford Circus."

READ MORE: PICTURES & VIDEO: Extinction Rebellion protest brings hundreds on to Taunton streets

He added: "Piccadilly Circus was completely taken over when the young people’s march arrived, families picnicked in the road around Eros’ statue which had been embellished with Extinction Rebellion flags while the young occupied themselves decorating the roadway with chalk spray paint and writing out environmental slogans; 'No Plan B', 'Sea level is rising and so are we' and 'can you swim?'

"But the telling one was, 'The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it'."

The groups joined the protest in London, which continued into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

More than 100 people were arrested in London as police dealt with the protests, Scotland Yard said.

The number of people held over the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations surged overnight after a police order restricted the protesters to a site at Marble Arch.

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Following disruption in the heart of the capital on Monday, groups lingered on Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square into the early hours of Tuesday.

Transport for London warned that some roads in Westminster and the West End remained blocked as the rush hour approached.

Police said that as of 6am there had been 113 arrests in total in connection with the demonstrations.

The majority of the arrests were for breaching the order instructing protesters to stay only at Marble Arch.

Five of those arrested - three men and two women - were held on suspicion of criminal damage after protesters vandalised Shell's headquarters on Monday.

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

READ MORE: LETTER: 'Climate change march showed Taunton is ready to play its part'

The campaign group said that "over 100 brave rebels" had been arrested, some willingly.

The group tweeted: "Day 1 of #InternationalRebellion saw actions in 33 countries, 52 willing arrests in London occupations of #MarbleArch #OxfordCircus #ParliamentSquare #WaterlooBridge #PicadillyCircus, overnight some occupations evicted. Day 2 starting, come and #RebelforLife"