Protests in Bristol, London, Manc, Norwich, Cambridge, Sheffield, Oxford, Edinburgh, Truro, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Bath, Bradford, St Andrews, Plymouth, Reading, Leamington Spa, Leicester & Altrincham (‘read more’ for details, photos, audio & video clips)
A group of ‘climate refugees’ blocked the vehicle entrance to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Corporate Offices at Temple Quay to shine the spotlight on climate criminals RBS, the self-proclaimed ‘Oil and Gas’ Bank. Four people from Bristol Rising Tide for Climate Action dressed as homeless polar bears have locked themselves together and prevented all vehicles entering the RBS branch for six and a half hours.
Today’s blockade lasted six and a half hours with the last ‘climate refugee’ being finally chiseled out at 2.30pm. Four people are currently being held at Trinity police station.
The police used a dubious method of dealing with it – they lifted people and suitcases on to trolleys and then wheeled them away. This caused severe discomfort and panic for the people on the ground and at least one of them has bruising as a result.
RBS lost many hours today due to rocking up late cos of parking issues and the many employees that spent the day staring out of the windows watching the drama unfolding and taking photos on their phones (check out you tube for clips!).
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PRESS RELEASE: ‘Climate refugees’ locked up at the Oil Bank of Scotland, Bristol
A group of ‘climate refugees’ are blocking the vehicle entrance to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Corporate Offices at Temple Quay to shine the spotlight on climate criminals RBS, the self-proclaimed ‘Oil and Gas’ Bank.
Six people from Bristol Rising Tide for Climate Action dressed as homeless polar bears have locked themselves together and are currently preventing all vehicles entering the RBS branch. This is part of a National Day of Local Action against the Royal Bank of Scotland called by those hugely concerned with the devastation to the climate, planet and people.[1]
RBS-NatWest publicly promotes itself as “The Oil & Gas Bank”. They provide the financial fuel that is accelerating climate change. Without these loans to oil and gas corporations the projects would not happen. [2]It is estimate that *in 2006, the bank provided over $10 billion to fossil fuels – more than five times that provided to renewable energy.[3]*
RBS provide oil corporations with loans to build new massively ecologically detrimental drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers. [4] And as RBS’s profits rise so does the carbon in the atmosphere.
Global climate change already forces more people from their homes each year than war. And as the effects worsen, one in seven people on Earth today could be forced to leave their homes over the next 50 years. [5]
A polar bear said, “I am here to let RBS know that their funnelling of cash into fossil fuel projects is making myself and millions of other animals, including humans homeless.”
Another polar bear said “If carbon dioxide molecules had corporate tags of responsibility, the atmosphere would be full of RBS logos mingling with those of BP, Exxon and Shell!”
Contact:
Bristol Rising Tide 07951789187
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Notes for Editors
[1] The day of action was called by the UK Rising Tide Network at this years Camp for Climate Action which took place next to Heathrow Airport. www.risingtide.org.uk
[2] In 2005 emissions from RBS financed oil and gas projects was about a quarter of the amount produced by all UK homes.
[3] taken from: *The Oil and Gas Bank; RBS and the financing of climate change * http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/ddd/rbs_report.pdf
[4] RBS is helping force open the carbon frontier, financing controversial projects in Nigeria, the Caucasus and Wales. Its involvement in Angolan and Nigerian oil fields encourages corruption and conflict, while gas projects from the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico threaten environmental destruction.
[5] Figures from “Human Tide: The Real Migration Crisis,” by Christian Aid. The report calls for “urgent action by the world community” if the worst effects of this crisis are to be averted.
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one arrest at Royal Bank of Scotland banner drop this morning in London
around a dozen activists from ‘rising tide’ highlighted royal bank of scotland’s shoddy record of investment in climate change. one clambered on the glass canopy of their city hq to unfurl a banner while others handed out more than 900 leaflets
shortly before 9am this morning police sealed off the pavement under the glass canopy in front of 280 bishopsgate, the london hq of the royal bank of scotland. an activist had clambered up with a banner proclaiming ‘the oil bank of scotland’, while a dozen others leafletted passers-by and bank workers outside the front doors.
the activists also had various banners, and one was fetchingly dressed as a polar bear.
the action lasted about an hour and a half, while police photographer steve discombe used up the battery of his long lens camera taking shots of everyone involved. luckily, police back-up arrived with another battery just as the banner man came down.
police tried to seize the banner from activists “as evidence” and after a short but comic game of ‘piggy in the middle’, they succeeded. in past cases around parliament square, it has been shown in court that if police have clear photos of the banner, under PACE they have no further right to seize the actual banner, so in effect they stole it this morning (as they often do!).
the banner man was arrested for ‘causing a public nuisance’ and it is believed he was taken to bethnal green police station.
activists were highlighting the fact that RBS-NatWest have in the last five years funded 655 million tonnes of emissions) which is more than the UK’s entire annual emissions. the bank has launched ‘aviation capital’ to help put more planes in the sky, and it has pumped over $10billion into the oil and gas industry, funding rigs, tankers and pipelines.
there is a further protest planned outside the bank at 5pm today
20071015_RBS_WMV – video/x-ms-wmv 15M
20071015_RBS_QT – video/quicktime 13M
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London pranks: ‘This Company is Out of Order’ signs left on 15 RBS and Natwest cash machines in central London. Pranksters do invisible theatre in branches, trying to open accounts, having arguments about RBS’ unethical policies in the queues, and leaving piles of anti-RBS leaflets amongst their corporate propaganda. They then go underground for some ‘Tube Education’, leafleting and talking to Tube passengers.
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National climate protests against Royal Bank of Scotland, ‘The Oil and Gas Bank’
15 October 2007
For immediate release, for photographs contact Mike J Wells 07799152888
POLAR BEAR PINS BLAME ON RBS DOOR
Climate Change direct action group London Rising Tide and friends, this morning occupied the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland to expose their role in Climate Chaos. This was one of many actions happening across the UK today as part of a UK Rising Tide call out for a National day of action against RBS.
Activists dropped a banner reading “RBS profits, climate cops it” from the balcony, while others held placards on the street in front of the building on Bishopsgate.
A polar bear, currently sleeping rough since the artic ice became history, also attended to ask “why are RBS still investing in fossil fuel projects like ‘gas pipelines’ in Wales and ‘Tar sands strip mining’ in what was Canadian Arboreal Forest?”
The Bear said “Banks like RBS are the hidden drivers of climate change by offering loans to fossil fuel projects that otherwise the World Bank would not support”.
RBS calls itself the ‘Oil and Gas Bank’, and is the primary UK funder of fossil fuel extraction. RBS provides oil companies with the capital to build and operate drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers in some of the most sensitive and unstable places in the world. Through Aviation Capital, RBS financing allows airlines to expand their fleets and put more planes into the skies.
The thirty oil and gas finance deals RBS signed between 2001 and 2006 will create 655 million tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 15 years, which is more than the UK’s entire annual emissions. (2)
‘Banks like RBS who profit handsomely from climate-destroying projects have stood in the shadows for too long, but they are as guilty as the oil companies. If carbon dioxide molecules had corporate tags of responsibility, the atmosphere would be full of RBS logos mingling with those of BP, Exxon and Shell’, said Martin Redfern, from London.
For interviews from the protest call 075 1311 9047
For more details visit
. www.risingtide.org.uk
. http://www.carbonweb.org/showitem.asp?article=268&parent=267
(www.platform.org.uk)
. www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
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ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND….THE ‘OIL AND GAS BANK’
Manchester Climate Action targeted the RBS headquarters on Deansgate, Manchester, as part of a national day of action called by the Rising Tide network.
Local groups which formed to mobilise for this year’s Camp for Climate Action, have this morning taken action against RBS, a major backer of the aviation industry and the world’s self-described ‘Oil and Gas Bank’.
Banners were displayed reading: ‘Climate Change: RBS Makes It Happen’ and ‘No Pipeline! Green Energy Not Gas’. Protesters were greeted by 3 Tactical Aid Unit Vans and security guards, but despite police attempts to stop noise under the public order act, the samba band played and flyers were given out to workers, customers and passers by.
RBS employs some 5,000 staff in the Greater Manchester area and is the 2nd largest private employer in the area.
RBS provides oil companies with the cash to build and operate drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers. RBS also profits through the aviation industry. From the Niger Delta to the Arctic, RBS loans play a key role in
forcing open the new carbon frontier, which contributes to environmental destruction,disruption of indigenous peoples and increased conflict across the planet.
RBS is the second-largest bank in Europe and has global assets of over $1120 billion, including UK brands NatWest, Direct Line and Churchill Insurance. Despite creating a heavily green washed public image through
sponsorship of sports and the arts, RBS activities have major destructive impacts on the environment and society. The thirty oil and gas finance deals RBS signed between 2001 and 2006 locked us all into 655 million
tonnes of emissions over the next 15 years, more than the UK’s entire annual emissions.
Manchester Climate Action meet regularly, for more information email:
manchester@climatecamp.org.uk. Next meeting is Tuesday 16th, 6pm, Eighth Day café, Oxford Rd (near Manchester Metropolitan University, opposite All Saints Park.)
radio report of rbs protest – mp3 2.2M
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Triple whammy for RBS in Norwich
Last night, the doors of the RBS-Natwest Group Technology office on Exchange Street and the main RBS branch on Queen Street were locked shut. When staff showed up for work this morning at the Queen Street branch they found themselves locked out, and gathered opposite the branch to see what would happen. Soon after, 6 activists from Norwich Rising Tide turned up with leaflets and banners reading ‘RBS: Financing Climate Change’ and ‘Closed for a Total Re-think’. The d-lock proved to be a good one, and the bank was delayed from opening for business for over an hour. Rising Tiders handed out leaflets and chatted to the waiting staff and customers, with the usual mixed response. Passers-by were generally supportive, and the police showed up only at the very end, once the bank had re-opened and we were running low on leaflets. After our 500-strong leaflet stash had been exhausted, we decided to call it a morning.
norwich@risingtide.org.uk
http://www.risingtide.org.uk
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Cambridge RBS action
At lunchtime on Monday 15 October, around ten activists assembled outside the Royal Bank of Scotland branch on Trinity Street, Cambridge, as part of the national day of action against the UK’s main bankroller of carbon emitters. The protesters put up placards next to the ATM, handed out leaflets, and engaged passers-by and customers in discussion.
Four police officers were also in attendance, one taking pictures of all the leafletters. A number of people who happened to be passing by wanted to know the reason for this. Among these were an American woman who got quite stroppy with the officers, and a young guy who wanted to have picture taken with one of the protesters (the police dutifully obliged). Although the police came across all friendly, they did play their usual intimidation tactics of dropping details of protesters into the conversation that they could only have lifted from FIT files. On the flipside, they asked for the placards to be moved away from the ATM, as “customers might feel intimidated.”
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Royal Bank of Scotland Targeted for Investing in Climate Change
A group of activists leafletted the Royal Bank of Scotland in Broomhill, Sheffield as part of a National Day of Action. Over 20 actions have taken place all around the country including banks being locked up in Norwich and polar bears blockading in Bristol. This is all part of a campaign against the Royal Bank of Scotland which invests heavily in oil and gas, which is accelerating climate change.
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Quick Update on Today’s Oxford RBS Actions
Oxford climate activists targeted a branches of both the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest as part of the today’s National Day of Action. With banners and oil-spattered T-Shirts declaring “RBS Group – Funding Climate Change”, “Dirty Bankers – Shafting The Planet”, and “The Oil Bank Of Scotland”, they caused a stir in Oxford’s busiest shopping precinct and distributed hundreds of leaflets to interested customers and passers-by.
Activists also entered both branches with a large oil pipeline, explaining to customers and staff that they were delivering it to the branch, but couldn’t leave until they’d spoken to Head Office to confirm that it had arrived safely. They stayed in each branch cheerfully (and loudly) reminiscing with staff and customers about all the other pipelines and fossil fuel projects the bank was funding, and how much climate change they were causing, until removed by the police. In the NatWest branch, they also managed to get a call put through to Head Office and asked them why RBS were funding so many climate-trashing projects (they didn’t get any decent answers though).
No-one was arrested, although one protester had to give their name and address under Section 50 of the Police Reform Act for “anti-social behaviour” (they were apparently causing “alarm and distress” by standing in a bank, talking about climate change and holding a cardboard oil pipe).
Oxford Climate Action meet on Mondays at the Oxford Action Resource Centre (OARC – www.theoarc.org.uk). To get involved, contact oxford@climatecamp.org.uk – new members always welcome!
Link to video of Action
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Students from Edinburgh University protested outside RBS’s Central Branch in Edinburgh as part of Rising Tide’s national day of action against RBS’s funding of oil and gas extraction.
Students from Edinburgh University People & Planet group stepped up their campaign against the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) this morning. Alongside other People & Planet groups in Scotland, and campaigners from Rising Tide, they took part in a national ‘day of action’ targeting the Edinburgh-based bank.
The protests aim to highlight RBS’s role as one of the world’s largest funders of climate-wrecking oil and gas extraction. Emissions resulting from RBS-supported projects around the globe are greater than those of the whole of Scotland.
Campaigners gave out information to customers, held banners, and waved oil covered hands outside RBS’s central branch in St. Andrew’s Square.
People & Planet recently worked with climate change experts PLATFORM to write a report into RBS (2). The report draws attention to the bank’s crucial role in supporting the global oil and gas extraction industry, where it publicly markets itself as ‘the oil and gas bank’.
Sarah Holliday, a member of Edinburgh People & Planet said:
“RBS call themselves ‘the oil and gas bank’. They provide huge amounts of advice and funding for new oil extraction. Their fossil fuels projects worldwide will lock us in to emissions for decades to come – making a low carbon economy impossible. They are the UK’s main financial drivers of climate change.”
The campaign is a part of the People & Planet national campaign, “Ditch Dirty Development”, which is also calling on the Department for International Development to stop using aid money to fund fossil fuel projects (3).
More photos can be found here.
1) People & Planet is the UK’s largest student campaigning network. It campaigns on world poverty, human rights and the environment: www.peopleandplanet.org http://pandp.eusa.ed.ac.uk
2) The report, entitled ‘The Oil and Gas Bank’, can be found here
3)“Ditch Dirty Development” campaign website
“Oil Bank of Scotland” campaign website
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Also in Edinburgh: The locks of the main entrances to at least six Edinburgh RBS branches were glued shut last night, and all of them had to have the locks replaced today.
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2 branches in edinburgh were given ‘pollution awards’ – along with various other posters about RBS policy. unfortunatly the police drove by while one branch was just being finished off, and took the still wet posters off. 🙁 – next time…
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Truro demo at RBS branch: Twelve activists from across Cornwall gathered at the RBS branch in Truro for a two-hour demo with a friendly atmosphere and good response from passers-by. They handed out leaflets and slices of cake from a clock-shaped ‘11th hour’ cake, and made new connections that built the foundations of a climate action group for Cornwall.
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Birmingham Uni flood campus NatWest: Over thirty students from Birmingham People and Planet descended upon the Natwest branch on campus. Some were dressed in boiler suits and carried oil pipelines. Others, dressed as bankers and impersonating members of the RBS Oil and Gas Team gave a highly sarcastic presentation extolling the virtues of RBS’ oil and gas investments. Oil pipes and boiler suits. Dressed as bankers. Went in and gave mock presentation, impersonated oil and gas team. Extolled virtues of RBS. 20 minutes. Did presentation again a few more times on campus. 30 people. Couldn’t all fit in. Birmingham People and Planet.
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Glasgow Treacle Tart Cabaret: After a half hour discussion with the central Glasgow RBS branch manager in which they expressed their anger about RBS’ investment in oil and gas, two intrepid activists left the branch, only to make a quick costume change and return as the hosts of the Treacle Tart Cabaret. They sang, danced, waved banners and placards, got up on the cashiers’ desks and strutted their stuff, and even performed an Oil Rap. At this point the bank decided to lock its doors, locking the Tarts in and customers out, and effectively shutting the bank down for an hour. Inside the atmosphere was positive, with the locked-in staff and customers getting into the swing of things. One of the Tarts capped off the performance by cutting up her RBS debit card as a magic trick.
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Around a dozen climate change refugees queued outside Nat West Bank in Aberystwyth today, Monday 15th October, to beg a ‘bank official’ for a home loan because climate change was destroying their current home. The refugees ranged from an Aussie through a Greenlander to an Artic Cod. As the refugees were interviewed, volunteers handed out fliers on Royal Bank of Scotland , Nat West and their investment in projects linked to climate change. Meanwhile, RBS and Nat West ATMs all mysteriously displayed signs reading ‘OUT OF ORDER’ in large letters. On close inspection with a magnifying glass, the very small print read ‘RBS and Nat West investment policy’. The possible effects of climate change on a number of countries were mapped on the pavement with chalk – disturbing before and after snapshots. As the refugees were all turned down for home loans, they carried a protest banner into the bank. Unfortunately, being weakened by loosing their homes, the refugees dropped the banner and, being weighted down with helium balloons, it drifted up and displayed itself from the ceiling for a good half an hour before staff managed to get it down.
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The main cardiff branch RBS on st Mary’s Street was closed 3 hours after 20 activists entered the building causing distruption. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out and banners displayed outside. The process was repeated at Natwest afterwards.
Lots of Police were in attendance including intelligence gatherers. Photos to follow.
cardiffanarchists@riseup.net
http://southwalesanarchists.org
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Don’t Bank On Oil In Bath
As part of today’s national day of action against the Royal Bank of Scotland, 7 activists from Bath Activist Network picketed the RBS branch on Quiet Street in Bath, for two hours over lunch time. Banner on display, customers and passers-by were leafleted with mock-up imitation RBS literature and invitations to ‘Open an oil rig today!’, informing the public about the Terms and Consequences of banking with RBS, their dodgy investment record in fossil fuel extraction and aviation industries, and the 160,000 estimated global deaths a year due to the effects of climate change. Whilst staff and police complained about the seemingly out-of-order ATM outside their door, we listened to stories of customers’ poor treatment by their bank, and also helped at least the one student find more ethical options for his new account. Also bemusing were the members of public who mistook the business-suited activists for bank employees, and chatted about the service.
bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk
http://myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork
To read PLATFORM’s report on Royal bank of Scotland, go here: http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/ddd/rbs_report.pdf
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Bradford students leaflet campus Natwest
Students from the university of Bradford People & Planet group leafleted at the Natwest branch on campus. That’s all the details I know, hopefully more details to follow.
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St Andrews Uni P&P also did some protest performance art – ‘attempting’ to open accounts in the town, etc.
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Plymouth – after a procession along North Hill Street, a group of people held a four-hour demo at the RBS branch near Drake Circus, complete with music and drumming. A good response from passers-by, with lots of customers asking directly for leaflets.
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Reading Rising Tide held a demo at the Reading RBS branch.
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A group of 5 held a demo in Leamington.
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Cash-points were stickered with anti-RBS stickers in Leicester.
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Leaflets were stuck on lamp-posts in Altrincham.
So we are inviting people involved in all squatted autonomous spaces around the UK to meet and discuss the squatting situation and some preparation for the days of action in April.
Rising Tide International is calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2008…
On Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of April 2008, we call for two days of demonstration, direct action, public information, street-party, squatting… in defence of free spaces and for an anti-capitalist popular culture. Through these two days, we want to help create more visibility of autonomous spaces and squats as a european/global political movement. We want to develop interconnections and solidarity between squats and autonomous spaces. We want to keep linking our spaces with new people and new struggles, and support the creation of autonomous spaces in places where there has not been a history of this kind of action. We want to build, step by step, our ability to overcome the wave of repression falling on us.
Undercurrents is calling for submissions of short videos and animations on the theme of the festival: social justice and environmental action.
It’s only a week away! There are plans afoot all over the country, and there’s still time for you to organise something in your local area. A few things that might help:
Call to prepare and organise a climate camp in Germany!