Greenpeace targets Northampton's Barclays branch as part of countrywide 'shut down'

It comes after Extinction Rebellion dumped fake oil inside the Barclaycard headquarters in Brackmills last week.
By Alastair Ulke
Published 2nd Mar 2020, 16:04 BST
Updated 2nd Mar 2020, 16:12 BST
Greenpeace claims it "disabled" the doors at Barclays in the Drapery this morning as part of a national protest.Greenpeace claims it "disabled" the doors at Barclays in the Drapery this morning as part of a national protest.
Greenpeace claims it "disabled" the doors at Barclays in the Drapery this morning as part of a national protest.

Northampton town centre's Barclays branch was 'shut' by Greenpeace activists this morning as part of a national protest against investing in fossil fuels.

The activist group claims it "disabled the doors" of the branch in the Drapery this morning (March 2) before taping the doors closed and sticking up protest posters on the windows.

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The group claims it targeted 95 Barclays branches across the UK this morning, and is demanding the bank stops investing in fossil fuels.

Activists claim they "disabled" the doors before staff arrived to work.Activists claim they "disabled" the doors before staff arrived to work.
Activists claim they "disabled" the doors before staff arrived to work.

It comes after four members of the climate-change protest group Extinction Rebellion were arrested last week after fake black oil was spread over the main entrance of the Barclaycard headquarters in Brackmills.The bank has been branded "Europe's biggest funder" in fossil fuels by climate groups. Greenpeace claims it invested £85bn into non-renewable energy between 2016 and 2018.

Barclays expected to make a statement on the issue in the coming month.

Morten Thaysen, climate finance campaigner at Greenpeace UK said: "Barclays must stop funding the climate emergency, that’s why we’ve taken action in Northampton and across the country today.

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"From floods to bushfires across the globe and record heat in Antarctica, the impacts of this crisis are staring us in the face. Yet Barclays keeps pumping billions into fossil fuel companies at exactly the time we need to stop backing these polluting businesses.

The group stuck protest posters on the windows. Photo by Greenpeace.The group stuck protest posters on the windows. Photo by Greenpeace.
The group stuck protest posters on the windows. Photo by Greenpeace.

"Banks are just as responsible for the climate emergency as the fossil fuel companies they fund, yet they’ve escaped scrutiny for years. We’ve shut down branches across the country to shine a spotlight on Barclays’ role in bankrolling this emergency. It’s time Barclays pulled the plug and backed away from funding fossil fuels for good."

Barclays has been contacted for a comment.

Related topics:GreenpeaceBarclaysExtinction RebellionNorthampton

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