Group claims coordinated graffiti, superglue and cable-cutting actions
~ Cristina Sykes ~
Shut The System (STS) says its activists have targeted branches of Barclays bank and the homes of senior management ahead of the bank’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday.
In a press release the group said they superglued door locks and ATMs and sprayed graffiti on the exteriors of bank branches in locations including London, Bath, Lincoln and Devon, and cut WiFi cables at the bank’s Northampton headquarters.
The activists also spray-painted messages calling for divestment from fossil fuels on the properties of three senior Barclays executives—CEO Vimlesh Maru, global head of sustainable finance Daniel Hanna, and president of Barclays Bank PLC Stephen Dainton.
Barclays is one of Europe’s biggest investors in fossil fuels, having poured $235.19 billion into the sector since the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The bank made some climate pledges and restrictions on new oil and gas financing in 2024, but its policies still allow investment in fossil fuel companies.
Shut The System is demanding that Barclays and other banks immediately prohibit all finance and insurance for fossil fuel expansion, adopt emissions reduction targets aligned with 1.5°C scenarios, and scale up financing for a just transition.
“For years Barclays have resisted the calls of peaceful campaigners to divest”, said the group in a press release. “By targeting Barclays offices, the luxury flats and mansions of their senior staff and organisations supporting the bank, we are creating the pressure to reign in these corporate murderers”.
Photos by STS
