Extinction Rebellion (XR) Camden held a protest at Barclays Bank on Tottenham Court Road on Tuesday 14 February to draw attention to the bank’s continued investment in fossil fuel.
Activists with placards entered the bank went up the escalator and down the stairs and stood in the window.
After about an hour the Police attended to speak with the protesters inside. After another 20 mins the protesters came out of the bank. No arrests were made.
Barclays and other banks across the the UK have been the target of protests from climate activitists due to the banks’ continued investment in fossil fuels.
Seven protesters were given suspended sentences this year after breaking the windows of a Barclays bank in Canary Wharf in 2021.
Celebrities have also joined activists in calling on the UK’s big five banks to stop financing new oil, gas and coal expansion.
Barclays has responded to the recent protests by stating: “In March 2020 we were one of the first banks to announce our ambition to be a net zero bank by 2050, by reducing our own operational emissions and our financing of our clients’ emissions.”
Additional reporting by Linus Rees.