Cyclists on the way to the demonstration this morning. Oisín O'Connor / I Bike Dublin Oisín O'Connor / I Bike Dublin / I Bike Dublin

CYCLISTS ARE BLOCKING traffic in Dublin city centre as part of a climate change demonstration.

The protest is taking place at Pearse St Bridge and Grand Canal Square, and expected to last until around 9am.

It has been organised by I Bike Dublin in support of the week-long series of demonstrations by Extinction Rebellion. Both groups are calling for urgent action to be taken to tackle climate change.

Around 100 people are taking part this morning, organisers said.

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In a statement, I Bike Dublin said: “The aim is to maximise disruption for private motorists while leaving public transport and active travel mostly unaffected. People’s over-use of private cars contributes 50% of Ireland’s transport-related carbon emissions.

Private car use needs to be urgently restricted in favour of sustainable transport, starting in urban areas such as Dublin’s city centre.

“The natural world is collapsing and we will go with it. Over 270 species in Ireland are threatened by extinction.

The group added that motoring “poisons through air pollution, noise pollution and water pollution”, and “excessive road-building scars the landscape making it uninhabitable for vulnerable wildlife”.

The group is calling for:

• Immediate change of traffic light sequences to double pedestrian green phase and half pedestrian wait times
• Immediate zero tolerance enforcement of driver abuse of existing cycle lanes, bus lanes and bus corridors
• An end to free and subsidised parking for civil servants and employees of semi-state agencies
• An immediate introduction of a €500 e-bike grant for all Irish residents regardless of income
• Suspension of all new road-building and road-widening projects in the State, pending a review of the emissions caused by each project

Extinction Rebellion protesters staged demonstrations in Penneys and Brown Thomas in Dublin city yesterday.

Earlier in the week, members of the group set up a camp in Merrion Square South and staged a protest outside Leinster House.

The protestors sang: “Gardaí, we love you, we’re doing this for your children too” as a number of men and women were carried away in order to clear the roadway.