Press
This is the official source for Extinction Rebellion UK news,
press releases, updates, images & videos.
Email: press@extinctionrebellion.uk
Phone: +44(0)7756136396
Shell AGM disrupted, and Vanguard and BlackRock targeted by XR, Fossil Free London and allies
Scores of activists from XR and Fossil Free London unleashed a new wave of disruption against fossil fuel giant Shell and two of their major financiers BlackRock and Vanguard. Dozens of protesters infiltrated Shell’s AGM preventing the event from starting for an hour with songs, chants, and speeches. Later in the meeting activist shareholders attempted to storm the stage but were prevented by a ring of security guards before being manhandled out of the hall. Outside Vanguard and BlackRock a person with a giant Rishi Sunak head spewed oil over the Earth highlighting the close financial links between the Prime Minister’s family and the fossil fuel industry.
‘This bank is dirtier than ever!’ Extinction Rebellion disrupts Lloyds’ AGM over shocking increase in funding for fossil fuel madness
A wave of disruptive XR actions against the dirty banks funding the accelerating climate crisis gathered further momentum as the AGM of Lloyds Banking Group in Glasgow was disrupted by protestors today. The bank increased fossil fuel funding by $500 million in 2022 compared to 2021. Four protesters repeatedly interrupted chairman Robin Budenberg as soon as he took to this feet to make his opening speech. When the first one was removed by security, a second one stood up to intervene. In a series of speeches they demanded that the bank and Bundenberg lead the UK's financial services industry out of fossil fuel funding immediately, completely and for good.
XR co-founder demands police arrest ‘criminal’ government after intimidating conspiracy charges dropped
Gail Bradbrook has had conspiracy charges with a maximum jail term of ten years hanging over her for two years since police raided her home, arrested her in handcuffs and seized computer equipment and personal papers in May 2021. Now the Met have finally admitted that they have insufficient evidence to pursue their case and dropped all charges. At the same time, the force continues to refuse to consider a dossier of evidence delivered by Bradbrook and other legal activists which suggests the British government are guilty of genocide through inaction on the climate emergency.
Extinction Rebellion infiltrate National Conservatism Conference to call out the fascist ideologies supported by senior Cabinet ministers and MPs
Today, members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) secretly entered and disrupted the National Conservatism Conference in London and interrupted speakers, highlighting increasingly dangerous rhetoric from senior political figures. Peaceful protesters worked inside and outside the conference at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster, to appeal directly to conference attendees and the public on the warning signs of fascism.
High Noon at Crown Court as 24 people including lawyers, medics and Quakers defy judge who jailed defendants for speaking about their motivations
In a poignant and unprecedented move, 24 ordinary people are displaying signs saying “Jurors have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience” around Inner London Crown Court in a show of solidarity with defendants banned from talking about their motivations or using the words “climate change” or “fuel poverty” during their trials, three of whom have been sent to prison. Judge Silas Reid has already previously ordered the arrests of four people displaying the same message in close proximity to Inner London Crown Court.
Mothers from Australia to Zimbabwe sit down peacefully in public spaces demanding urgent action to protect the world’s children
“With our circles we convey that we refuse to look away, that we refuse to give up and that we will do everything we can.” Mothers’ Rebellion are today creating circles all over the world in a mass global demonstration, demanding urgent action to protect the world's children.
This bank is dirty! Extinction Rebellion calls out HSBC’s Greenwash at AGM in Birmingham
Around fifty protesters descended on HSBC’s annual general meeting to call out the bank’s shameful climate policies as the bank announces soaring quarterly profits of $12.9 billion. Protestors arrived with a bath of greenwash, while a group of ‘dirty scrubbers’ offered to clean up the bank’s soiled image in return for cash. Inside people unfurled banners, sang songs, enacted dramatic skits and repeatedly called out HSBC’s broken promises over its climate pledges. HSBC has invested $145bn in fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement in 2016 and the bank’s climate pledges have been revealed as greenwash by a series of damaging exposes.
Bankrolling our extinction: climate activists halt AGM of Barclays – Europe’s worst fossil fuel funder
A major bank funding our extinction by pouring billions of pounds into new fossil fuel projects was left in disarray today as activists linked to a huge new climate crisis coalition disrupted their Annual General Meeting headquarters in the City of London. The board of directors faced constant interruption and challenge making it almost impossible for the AGM to continue. When Barclays chairman Nigel Higgins tried to outline the bank’s own climate commitments, a protester shouted “bullshit.” A 70-strong Climate Choir sang a climate crisis version of the Spice Girls "Stop Right Now" to bank board members. Further disruption followed as Fossil Free London, enacted a Shakespearean condemnation of Barclays as being on the wrong side of history.
The Big One’s message to the government: ‘You had your chance – now we’re stepping it up’
At 5pm today (Monday) a deadline set by the UK’s biggest-ever single-location, collaborative climate protest expired. Now more than 200 leading environmental and social justice groups, including Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace, War on Want, Avaaz and Global Justice Now, will step up their campaigns to force the government to immediately tackle the accelerating climate emergency and social injustice.
Day 3: Running out of time: The Big One continues as over 200 organisations share the streets with London Marathon
London's biggest sporting event and The Big One share the backdrop of the country's capital as protesters, runners and spectators peacefully work together towards a better future. As the government tests out its emergency alarm, time is running out for them to respond to our collective demands for an end to new fossil fuels, citizens assemblies and reparatory justice. Otherwise we will be forced to step it up...
The Big One Day 2: Extinction Rebellion links up with Earth Day organisers for biodiversity march in Westminster, as numbers expected to swell
Extinction Rebellion and 200 other organisations are back in central London today for a mass 'die-in' in memory of and mourning for the heartbreaking 70% decline in wild animal populations since the first Earth Day in 1970. A recent study shows that the ecosystems we depend on for our survival are vanishing quicker than in any of the five mass extinctions that have struck our planet.
The Big One goes Big: 50,000 people expected to descend on Westminster to join the biggest protest tackling the joint climate and political crises ever held in the UK
Household names from arts, culture, music and science will be joining an anticipated 50,000 people in the streets around Parliament this weekend as The Big One, a massive four-day protest demanding immediate government action on the accelerating climate, ecological and political crises, kicks off in earnest.