No laughing gas matter! Revellers inflate balloons as tens of thousands dance through London in protest over continued closure of UK's night clubs and music venues
Tens of thousands turned out to party in protest against the perceived Government disregard for the live music industry during covid, in central London this afternoon.
Crowds blocked Regent Street during the FreedomToDance march organised by Save Our Scene, demonstrating against the ongoing covid restrictions that are keeping nightclubs and music venues closed in order to stop the spread of the virus.
The lively protest saw open-sided trucks rigged with speakers providing a mobile club atmosphere for the punters as they poured out onto the streets without masks to protest against coronavirus restrictions on nightlife.
Young protestors were seen puffing on balloons as they walked along in the festival-feel crowd on one of London's busiest shopping streets.
Others were seen brandishing signs reading 'let the music play', 'music is medicine' and 'everybody's free to feel good, but not dance'.
Protestors are seen with balloons as they take part in the Freedom to Dance Protest on Regent Street, London, this afternoon
Revellers get into the party spirit whilst out protesting for nightclubs to reopen by blasting music into crowds on Regent Street, London
A protestors' truck is seen blaring music onto the street as hundreds crowd around in protest against the closure of the UK's nightlife and music venues
DJs performed to crowds along Londons Regents street from two huge sound systems mounted on lorries on Sunday at the Freedom to Dance protest
DJs performed to crowds along Londons Regents street from two huge sound systems mounted on lorries on Sunday at the Freedom to Dance protest
The protests come as the UK recorded its most new coronavirus infections since early February on Saturday, and the National Health Service ran a 'grab a jab' initiative to further drive up vaccination rates.
Government figures showed that another 18,270 people tested positive for the virus across the UK, the highest daily number since February 5.
Over the past week, nearly 100,000 have tested positive, around 50 per cent increase up on the week before. That has raised questions over whether lockdown restrictions will end as planned.
Daily cases have risen fairly sharply over the past few weeks as a result of the delta variant, which was first identified in India and is considered by government scientists to be between 40 per cent to 80 per cent more transmissible than the previous dominant strain. It accounts for nearly all the new cases in the UK.
Most of the new confirmed cases are among younger age groups which haven't yet received COVID-19 vaccines.
Men are seen with balloons as they take a walk down the crowded street with music blaring around them in protest of the UKs closed nightlife
People walk along Regent Street in central London during a #FreedomToDance march organised by Save Our Scene, June 27
Thousands gather in London's Piccadilly Circus to dance in protest of continued coronavirus restrictions
A mobile DJ plays decks as he walks along the busy street. The gathering is in protest of the government's perceived disregard for the live music industry
Crowds were packed together tightly as tens of thousands turned out to get involved in the Freedom to Dance protest
One women holds a sign reading 'meet me at the club' as the crowd cheers for a passing vehicle playing music
Police move crowds on as the protestors' van is surrounded on the busy Regent Street
Demonstrators scale a bus stop, calling for nightclubs to reopen take part in the Save Our Scene protest
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Demonstrators react as they gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest
Demonstrators react as they gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in London, June 27
A person wears a mask depicting Britain's former Health Secretary Matt Hancock as demonstrators gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest
People calling for nightclubs to reopen take part in the Save Our Scene protest, amid the coronavirus disease
A woman holds a placard as demonstrators gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest, June 27
The latest spike came as hundreds of walk-in vaccination sites, including at stadiums and shopping centers, opened in England over the weekend in a bid to boost vaccine numbers, particularly among those younger age groups.
Half of all adults aged under 30 in England will have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by today, the NHS has said.
More than 4.2 million people aged between 18 and 29 have received a jab just three weeks after the coronavirus vaccination programme was opened up to those in their 20s.
'This is a phenomenal achievement and it's fantastic to see so many young people coming forward for their jabs, doing their bit to protect themselves and their loved ones,' Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said.
Signs reading 'cut shapes not culture' and 'all we wanna do is dance', held by protestors as they move through the streets
A mobile van playing music to the crowd, with the words 'Riot Squad' written on it as police watch on
A mobile DJ carries his decks on his back as he walks along entertaining people in Regent's Street, London
A crowded street made for a festival atmosphere as thousands of clubbers turned out to protest for their right to party
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Demonstrators gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest
A demonstrator reacts as people gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest, June 27
Demonstrators react as they gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest
Demonstrators dance as they gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest, June 27
The spread of the variant upended the Conservative government's plans to lift all remaining restrictions on social contact in England this week.
The plan is to lift those restrictions on July 19, but whether it will do so could largely depend on whether the vaccine rollout has created a firewall that protects the most vulnerable. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - are following similar plans.
The hope is that the link between infections and those needing hospitalisation and subsequently dying has broken because of the rapid rollout of vaccines.
People walk along with a van with a 'Riot Squad' logo in Regent Street in central London during a #FreedomToDance march organised by Save Our Scene
A woman holds a sign reading 'let us go dancing' whilst others dance on top of a bin as if on a club podium
People walk along Regent Street in central London during a #FreedomToDance march organised by Save Our Scene, in protest of the government's perceived disregard for the live music industry throughout the coronavirus pandemic
Demonstrators gather calling for nightclubs to reopen during the Save Our Scene protest on Regent's Street, London
Protesters hold signs reading 'music is medicine' and 'if football can come home why can't we dance?'
As of Saturday, nearly two-thirds of the UK population have received at least one vaccine dose while 48 per cent have had two.
Worries about the vaccines were heard as thousands of anti-lockdown protesters marched through central London on Saturday. Some even threw tennis balls into Downing Street, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson has his office and residence. 'Shame on you,' some chanted.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock resigned after breaking social distancing rules with an aide he was allegedly having an affair with.