ENVIRONMENTAL protesters set up shop in Malvern for a weekend protest.

Members of the Malvern Hills branch of Extinction Rebellion took up positions along the roads at Malvern Link Common wearing face masks and gloves, standing at more than three metres distance from each other in adherence with social-distancing guidelines.

Extinction Rebellion Malvern joined thousands of activists across dozens of UK towns and cities at 12 noon on Saturday.

Their aim was to highlight the distinct choices that face society at this crucial point in history.

Many of the signs asked questions such as "people or profit?", "bailout polluters or bailout the planet?" "greener future or climate breakdown?"

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The protest started at the West Worcestershire Conservative Party headquarters, extending to the top of Malvern Link Common.

Iszi Jones, from XR Malvern, said: "After the massive upheaval of lockdown, there may be a temptation to return to business as usual.

"But ‘business as usual’ has been killing the planet. This terrible virus has taught us a very important lesson: we can make massive societal changes very quickly when there is the political will to do so.

"The time has come to make the changes necessary to sustain the planet as well.

"My social media feeds have been filed with posts about the flourishing of nature in recent weeks.

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"We all know that that we have been headed for climate disaster, but the lockdown has shown us a different way forward.

"Do we want to return to the pre-virus world where 36,000 people per year die of air pollution, or do we want to build a green sustainable future for the next generation?"

The protest formed part of a wider day of demonstrations by the group, including protests at County Hall in Worcester in addition to similar events across the country.