Around 500 anti-lockdown protesters descended on central London on Saturday as tighter restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus came into force in the capital. Protesters chanted "take our freedom back" as they marched along Oxford Street, carrying posters with slogans against mandatory mask wearing.

"It's about living not just surviving, we want to be able to enjoy our lives not just be stuck at home, or panicking to leave and go out," 17-year-old protester Aragorn Kyley said.

Other protesters said they believed the lockdown was being imposed for reasons other than containing the virus, though they declined to say what they believed the true intentions were.

London, the world's international financial capital, entered a tighter COVID-19 lockdown from midnight on Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks to tackle a swiftly accelerating second coronavirus wave.

(Source: Reuters)