{"id":67,"date":"2020-12-27T22:15:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T22:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.xripswich.com\/xr\/?page_id=67"},"modified":"2021-11-08T14:04:15","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T14:04:15","slug":"actions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.xripswich.com\/xr\/actions\/","title":{"rendered":"Actions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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XR Ipswich Red Brigade protesting outside Suffolk County Council<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Past Actions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Theatrical bank action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

October 2021<\/strong> – by Extinction Rebellion
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of COP 26 UN climate talks in Glasgow, we joined with youth strikers and other groups around the world to demand that governments and corporations #DefundClimateChaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on two of the worst banks in Europe for fossil fuel investments, Barclays and HSBC, we held a theatrical bank action on the Cornhill in Ipswich town centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rebel representing Mother Earth held and hugged a globe, while bankers from Barclays and HSBC circled. The bankers took measurements, shone spotlights, and divvied up the planet between them, haggling over prices, before reaching an agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bankers then proceeded to pour ‘oil’ over our Earth Protector, until eventually she fell to her knees and perished. Shortly after, the bankers also died, unable to live on a dead planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other rebels read out messages about the environmental impact of banks investments in fossil fuels and encouraged the public to consider whether they could switch to a more environmentally friendly (and more ethical) option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barclays has financed $5.6bn in new fossil fuel projects January-October 20211<\/sup><\/a>, and a staggering $145bn since 2016 when the Paris Agreement was created. It was rated the worst bank in Europe, and the 7th<\/sup> worst globally by ethical consumer.2<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HSBC came second in Europe, and 13th<\/sup> globally, having invested close to $111bn in fossil fuels since 2016.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n


“The biggest banks are using your money to fund the climate crisis. We have seen this story before. In 2008, the recklessness of megabanks sank the global economic system. Now, in 2021, the youth climate movement is saying that we’ve had enough. we’re not going to let the banks bring down the entire planet too. On October 29th, young people are occupying and shutting down banks across the globe to demand an end to fossil fuel financing and the beginning of a Fossil-Free Future, and we need you to join us”3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to see how ethical your bank is, and see if there\u2019s a better option for you \u2013 visit https:\/\/switchit.money\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n