Hundreds of mothers staged a breast-feeding protest just yards from Downing Street on Wednesday, to “plead for the lives” of their children.

A procession of police-escorted buggies made its way down Whitehall, before stopping next to the Cenotaph.

Lorna Greenwood, 32, who organised the event, said: “We’re bringing the youngest lives who will be affected by the climate crisis to the heart of Westminster.”

Extinction Rebellion protests
Nursing mothers with their children block Whitehall (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Speaking to the PA news agency after the so-called “nursing strike”, she said: “Seeing hundreds of women and their tiny babies speaking truth to power, pleading for their babies’ lives, has just brought me to tears.”

“Some of these women gave birth just a few weeks ago, they’re recovering physically and are emotionally in a difficult place, and they’ve come to do this because they think it’s the right thing to do.

“I think everyone who has seen it has been very moved.”

Ms Greenwood is from Lewisham, south London, but has organised mothers from all over the country

Lucy Wright, 36, who travelled from North Wales, said that she planned to take part in the full two-week protest with her one year-old daughter, Clover.

“It feels like this really gets to the nub of what’s it’s about.

“And I think that’s clear by the number of people that have come along, not just mums but there’s dads and grandparents here,” she said.

Extinction Rebellion protests
Mothers breastfeed their children ahead of the Extinction Rebellion mass ‘nurse-in’ (Jonathan Brady/PA)

“I think it’s also really good for morale for other people taking part in this movement, to see young children and babies, because it reminds them what they’re doing and about the hard work they’re putting in.”

Following the protest many continued on to Trafalgar Square to join other activists.

Contrasting with the group’s young members, they were joined by a silver-cloaked group of older demonstrators who called themselves the “Aged Agitators”.

Another mother, Mariona Otero, 39, who came with her nine-month old son, Marvin, and two-year-old, Otis, commented on how well behaved the children had been during the event.

“No babies were crying, it was amazing,” she said.

“There was no crying at all, so maybe that’s a way of them saying, something is wrong, without saying anything.”

The event on Whitehall took place on the third day of the Extinction Rebellion climate change protests, which have taken place across the UK and internationally.