Star date: 25th May 2019

CLIMATE CAMPAIGNERS 'DIE' IN FRONT OF BARCLAYS BANK

'A decade ago the banks crashed the economy. This time they're crashing the planet...'

Climate change campaigners from Extinction Rebellion and Momentum staged a 'die-in' outside Barclays on Market Street, Manchester, this afternoon, to protest against the bank financing fossil fuels to the tune of $85billion.

"We need to make people aware and get them thinking of the effects banks like Barclays have on society and their lives" explained Ben, an activist from Salford.

Full details here...

Barclays Bank on Market Street, Manchester, faced action by climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion and Momentum this afternoon, in protest at the bank's financing of fossil fuels to the tune of $85billion between 2016 and 2018.

The campaigners handed out leaflet to shoppers explaining that 'If we're serious about preventing catastrophic warming, we can't build any more fossil fuel infrastructure. Rather than digging more coal mines, drilling more oil fields and building more pipelines, we must transform our energy systems and build a green economy for the many. In order to win this fight we need to take on the banks...

'Although fossil fuel companies have lots of money, they don't have the billions of dollars needed to build their infrastructure. This is financed by the banks' the leaflet added 'One of the biggest culprits is Barclays...A decade ago the banks crashed the economy. This time they're crashing the planet...'

To drive home the point, a 'die-in' happened for eleven minutes at the bank's entrance, while a 'fuel hopscotch' game was chalked on the pavement to remind people that there are eleven years left to act to limit the worst of the climate crisis...

"We're doing eleven minutes for the die-in because we've got eleven years to keep global heating to manageable proportions" Chris Gleeson of Stockport Momentum explained "If we don't sort it out in eleven years, millions of people are going to end up suffering and dying because of climate change."

Ben from Salford, an activist for Extinction Rebellion and Momentum, added: "We're doing this because Barclays has $85billion invested in fossil fuels, and I think that banks such as Barclays are responsible for a great deal of suffering in the world. We need to make people aware and get them thinking of the effects that banks like Barclays have on society and their lives."

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Photos by Louise Garman