Motorists held placards and chanted outside Downing Street and in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, protesting Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the ulta low emission zone (Ulez).
The large group donned high-vis vests and raincoats as they braved the rain around midday.
From August 29 drivers with the most polluting cars will pay £12.50 a day to drive in Greater London.
Some shouted “Get Khan out” outside Downing Street, holding signs that read ‘Stop the Toxic Air Lie’ and ‘No Ulez No Pay Per Mile’, in footage posted to social media.
Others lined up on the edge of Trafalgar Square and received toots from bus drivers passing by.
A group called Action Against ULEZ Extension tweeted on Saturday evening: “We will not be silenced. We will not give up.”
A huge thank you to everyone attending today's Trafalgar Square demo. 👏
— Action Against ULEZ Extension (@AntiExtension) August 5, 2023
We will not be silenced. We will not give up.
Say #No2ULEZ #No2PPM pic.twitter.com/aJR8GTtUE8
The rally comes a day after the Mayor of London pledged there would be no delay and refused to “water down” the extension of the Ulez scheme to all London boroughs at the end of the month.
Mr Khan also extended the scrappage scheme to cover all motorists in the capital.
The announcement has been supported by the mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, Montreal’s mayor Valérie Plante, and the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala.
But it has drawn criticism from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who blamed concerns around Ulez for his party’s narrow by-election defeat in Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat last month, and several Tory councils in Greater London boroughs.
Pressed on whether the Ulez expansion could impact Labour’s chances at the next general election, Mr Khan said that when he stands for a third term as mayor next year he will “build on our record of tackling the twin emergencies of the climate emergency and air pollution”.
“These policies are policies that are popular when they’re properly explained,” he added.
“I’m quite clear that I’m simply not willing to delay, water down or step back on these vital public health and green policies.”
Under the extended scrappage scheme, City Hall will add a further £50 million from reserves to a £110 million fund to help all London drivers upgrade their cars, vans and motorbikes.
All Londoners, rather than just those in receipt of certain benefits, as well as small businesses and charities, will also have access to payments between £2,000 and £11,500 to make their vehicles compliant.
City Hall analysis found that nine out of ten cars in London are already Ulez compliant.
Mr Khan said on Friday: “I have always said that expanding the Ulez to the whole of London was a difficult decision, and not one I took lightly — but it’s a decision I remain committed to seeing through.
“I’m not prepared to step back, delay or water down vital green policies like Ulez, which will not only save lives and protect children’s lungs... but help us to fight the climate crisis.”
