Barclays banks superglued shut in nationwide action against climate criminals

Staff at Barclays branches across the UK are set to encounter a sticky situation this morning (27th November) after climate activists from Extinction Rebellion, sister organisation Money Rebellion and allied groups glued the doors shut at almost 50 branches.

At dead of night and armed only with tubes of superglue, activists held the number one funder of fossil fuels in Europe¹ to account for its continued climate-wrecking criminal damage which endangers the future of all life on the planet.

Since the Paris Agreement Barclays has supported fossil fuels with $190.58 billion of investments.² New fossil fuels are incompatible with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping temperatures below 1.5C.³

Around fifty Barclays branches in city centres across the UK, including Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow, Albion Street in Leeds, the High Street in Lincoln and London’s Tottenham Court Road, were super glued shut overnight to protest Barclays’ continuing investment in oil and gas projects and to alert customers to the banks appalling impact on the climate and to urge them to switch to ethical banks using websites such as Switchit.green.⁶

Extinction Rebellion has consistently held Barclays to account,⁴ as has Greenpeace which took similar action in 2020.⁵ Barclays has not taken heed so we demand that when Barclays updates its annual climate strategy for 2024 it commits to end the funding of fossil fuel projects and companies expanding fossil fuel extraction.

This is part of a significant new wave of property-focused climate action. Superglued locks shutting down a branch may impact its business in the short term, but the longer term damage is to Barclays’ reputation as customers discover how its outdated business model destroys the environment, and take their money elsewhere.

A Money Rebellion activist who took part in the action said: “Barclays are pumping billions into the fossil fuel industry, completely at odds with advice from the International Energy Agency, United Nations and IPCC. Barclays are choosing short term profits over a liveable future and a lot of us are sick of the measly progress they’re making, as they hide behind their lies and greenwash.”

An XR activist added: “We’re responding to public attitudes and targeting the perpetrators of climate breakdown, not ordinary people and we apologise for any inconvenience caused to staff and customers. The inconvenience we’ve caused this morning is small in comparison to the catastrophic events already happening due to Barclays’ financing of fossil fuels.”

Climate change is real and happening now. We urge Barclays customers to use their power by moving their account to a bank more aligned with a liveable future for the planet. Websites like Switchit.green make it easy and explain clearly the huge impact an individual can make.

Notes to Editors

Two minute explainer video about Barclays’ fossil fuel investments: https://youtu.be/5TTSDQOhmEg

1. https://bankonourfuture.org/news/barclays-fossil-fuels-2023/

https://www.bankingonclimatechaos.org/

3. https://www.carbonbrief.org/new-fossil-fuels-incompatible-with-1-5c-goal-comprehensive-analysis-finds/

4. 2. https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2022/11/14/this-is-an-intervention-barclays-faces-biggest-ever-day-of-climate-protests/

5. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51702865

6. Switch to a green bank and withdraw £1.5m from fossil fuel support today, even if you have £0 in your account: https://www.switchit.green/

Jury acquits HSBC window-smashing women: “We smashed the windows of a major bank. A jury acquitted us. This is why.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/20/windows-major-bank-jury-climate-crisis

https://www.ipcc.ch/