Climate activists form Blockade For Life around the entire Lloyds of London building

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Dramatic scenes have engulfed the nerve centre of the UK’s insurance industry as hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists formed a Blockade For Life around the entire Lloyds of London building.

XR’s 800-strong Carbon Bomb Defusal Squad are linking hands to form a 300m-long human chain around the iconic building, allowing staff to leave the building in the City of London but refusing to allow anyone to enter or re-enter.

Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Marijn van de Geer said:

“We are all standing here today risking our freedom because the climate and ecological crisis is getting so bad, so quickly that we can’t see any other way to get our voices heard.

“The people inside this building have the power to pull the plug on the very worst climate-wrecking fossil fuel projects by refusing to insure them. We’re calling on them to recognise their power – and use it now. They can be climate heroes, change the course of history.

“We’re inviting them to come to a community assembly on March 5 where we can all work together to find a way forward. [1]

“We intend to stay here, linking hands and surrounding the building, until close of business today and we encourage all the workers inside to come and talk to us – or even join us.”

Pete Knapp, of XR Scientists, said:

“Insurers can play a vital role in the scaling down of fossil fuels and the scaling up of renewable energy. But they need to speak much more closely with experts in climate science, social science, ecology, and health. Everything is interconnected and we all need to talk to each other and act immediately to save billions of lives and huge swathes of the natural world.”

The dramatic action is the latest in a week-long series of high-profile protests by Extinction Rebellion targeting insurers who are refusing to pull the plug on climate-wrecking oil, gas and coal projects by refusing to insure them.

Yesterday (Tuesday) XR teams infiltrated and occupied the offices of five top insurers in the City of London, including the iconic Walkie Talkie, demanding that company bosses meet them to talk about their decision to keep greenlighting some of the worst fossil fuel crooks in the world.

The buildings occupied for much of the day were:

– The Walkie Talkie – offices of Tokio Marine
– Leadenhall Street – offices of Probitas
– Threadneedle Street –  offices of Talbot
– Creechurch Place – offices of Travellers
– Mark Street – offices of Zurich

Last week Extinction Rebellion sent an ultimatum letter to the bosses of more than 40 insurers in the City warning that they could face protest actions unless they met three key demands, including an immediate and complete ban on insuring new and expanding oil, gas and cola projects. (2)

Updates and full details of the action to follow

Notes for Editors:

[1] Details of the Community Assembly for insurance workers at 7pm on Tuesday, 5th March 2024 are here: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/act-now/campaigns/insurance-assembly

[2] Extinction Rebellion UK’s letter to insurance companies: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2024/02/22/extinction-rebellion-sends-message-from-the-heart-to-global-insurance-leaders/

About Extinction Rebellion

Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a decentralised, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

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Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate and ecological crisis which is upon us, including the sixth mass species extinction, global pollution, and increasingly rapid climate change. If urgent and radical action isn’t taken, we’re heading towards 4˚C warming, leading to societal collapse and mass loss of life. The younger generation, racially marginalised communities and the Global South are on the front-line. No-one will escape the devastating impacts.