Members of the public were intrigued as demonstrators clad in vivid scarlet garments marched through the heart of Oxford.

The Red Rebels, affiliated with Extinction Rebellion, staged their procession to highlight the consequences of climate change.

The participants wore bright crimson attire intended to represent the blood of creatures that have perished because of climate change and those that face extinction in years to come.

White paint covered their faces, contributing to the striking visual impact, and they performed silent gestures and expressions designed to convey the feelings they claim climate change provokes.

Onlookers observed the procession as it made its way past Radcliffe Camera and along Broad Street and Cornmarket Street, wondering about the purpose of the gathering.

Among those captivated by the scarlet-clad participants was Anne Taylor, who said to Oxford Mail journalist Indya Clayton that the deliberate pantomime of their movements held a hypnotic quality, stirring profound feelings of sorrow, hopelessness, optimism, happiness and affection.

She observed that their unhurried, silent procession through the streets and their remarkable staged scenes offered an opportunity to pause and contemplate, to consider deeply and to engage fully with their tranquil, caring concern for the planet.

At that period in 2019, Red Rebels chapters existed across numerous towns and cities throughout Britain and internationally.

The Oxford gathering served as practice for a major protest in the capital alongside other Red Rebels collectives and Extinction Rebellion activists.

Their aim was to focus attention on issues they regarded as critically urgent matters of climate and ecological crisis.