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Officers from London's Metropolitan Police have been accused of "brutal" treatment against climate change activists from the Extinction Rebellion group.
Footage shared on social media on Friday showed officers at Oxford Circus dragging two protesters across tarmac.
At one point, the officer dragging the female activist pulls her so quickly he loses balance and topples next to her.
As another policeman comes to assist, another officer dragging a male protester in a red t-shirt can be seen lifting him up by his belt.
"Brutal dragging of protesters by the police earlier at #ExtinctionRebellion ldn," one Twitter user said, alongside a video of the incident. It was not immediately clear when the footage was taken.
Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in LondonShow all 46 1 /46Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf A protester gives a thumbs up as he stalls a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London City of London Protesters hold up traffic on Upper Thames Street in the City of London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf Protesters hold a banner as they hold up a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers remove plants that were placed in the occupation of Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police officers arrive at Oxford Circus as they prepare to remove protesters during the fifth day of a coordinated protest by the Extinction Rebellion group, April 19
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge An activist waters the plants at the occupation on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Undeterred by over 400 arrests, climate change activists continued their demonstration into a fifth day in London with a small protest at the country's main Heathrow Airport, along with the ongoing protest camps at other iconic locations around the British capital
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Protesters with the words 'glued on' written on their hands hold hands as police officers arrive at Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers circle the lorry that serves as the central stage to the Waterloo Bridge occupation, repeating their tactic from a earlier at the Oxford Circus occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Oxford Circus reopens after being closed for days due to occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Officers prepare to move in on the occupation of Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Activists relax on a sofa at the occupation on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus British actress Emma Thompson talks to members of the media from atop the pink boat after police officers surrounded the boat being used as a stage as climate change activists occupy the road junction at Oxford Circus in central London during the fifth day of environmental protesst by the Extinction Rebellion group
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge An Extinction Rebellion demonstrator is carried away by police on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Activists on Waterloo Bridge have made a garden for their occupation site, April 20
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Demonstrators began blocking off a bridge and major central road junctions on April 15 at the start of a civil disobedience campaign calling for governments to declare an ecological emergency over climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, halt biodiversity loss and be led by new "citizens' assemblies on climate and ecological justice"
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Emma Thompson joins the Extinction Rebellion protest at Oxford Circus. Thompson spoke from the pink boat at the centre of the occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Extinction Rebellion protesters sit outside Heathrow Airport on April 19
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Heathrow airport Climate protestors hold a demo outside Heathrow Airport
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Police officers detain a climate change activist at Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Marble Arch Protesters prepare for another day at Marble Arch as the Extinction Rebellion protests enter their fifth day
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus British actress Emma Thompson gives an address from the stage atop the pink boat
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Actress Emma Thompson takes a photo with a Extinction Rebellion demonstrator
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Climate change activists blockade Oxford Circus on the third day of an environmental protest by the Extinction Rebellion group
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change activists stand atop a bus shelter as they take part in a blockade of Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf Police is seen as climate change activists demonstrate during the Extinction Rebellion protest, at Canary Wharf DLR station in London
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Police speak to climate change activists blockading Waterloo bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change activists, one (right) with her hand glued to the underside of a truck parked across Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Environmental campaigners protest in the centre of Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Jeremy Corbyn's Home Climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion protest sit after glueing themselves to the front fence of Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn's house
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Marble Arch Dozens of tents have been pitched at Marble Arch in a large scale occupation
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf station Police remove climate activists who glued themselves on top of a train at Canary Wharf station
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus Police forces carry a protester
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Canary Wharf station A climate change protestor who glued his hand to a window halts a DLR train
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Pedestrians and a cyclist pass graffiti drawn by protestors who blocked Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Climate change protestors practice yoga on Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge A climate change activist gestures while being detained by police officers
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge Protestors sit on the road
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Waterloo Bridge
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Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protests cause chaos in London Oxford Circus
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The tactic of one officer per protester appears to contradict the force's own guidelines.
In a statement earlier this week it said it took at least four officers "to remove one person from a site to ensure their safety".
"We have always been, are and will always be non-violent," XR tweeted in response to the footage. "This aggression from the police against our peaceful Rebels in London is inexcusable. Shame on them, do they not know that we are rebelling for their families and loved ones also."
In response to the video, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Independent : "Protesters have been told to leave Oxford Street and go to Marble Arch. Some demonstrators have decided not to go to Marble Arch and obstructed officers in the course of their duties. The response by officers has been proportionate in order to facilitate their removal."
The incident came amid a concerted effort by police to clear the capital's busiest shopping street of protesters, who have blocked the junction with Regent Street using a pink model boat which acted as a stage since Monday.
But Oxford Street remained blocked by activists on Friday night, alongside sites at Marble Arch, Parliament Square and Waterloo Bridge.
Almost 600 people have been arrested since the demonstrations begun, including three who have been denied bail after gluing themselves to a train at Canary Wharf.
In the face of climate breakdown – scientists have warned we have 12 years to stop catastrophic global warming – XR has three demands.
It is demanding the UK government declare a climate and ecological emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025, and create a so-called citizens’ assembly made up of members of the public, which would lead decision-making in the fight against climate and ecological breakdown
XR said there were set to be protests in at least 80 cities in more than 33 countries.
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