Extinction Rebellion blocks roads outside Bank of England
Roads outside the Bank of England remain closed as Extinction Rebellion protestors, including 50 activists who are breaking bail conditions, stage a sit-in.
In a Tweet this afternoon, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Queen Victoria Street is closed after green activists made their way from the Tate Modern to the doors of the Bank of England, where a rally is ongoing.
Olympic Gold Medalist and member of Extinction Rebellion, Ettiene Stott, 42, said: “I am breaking my Police bail today because I am fed up of being criminalised for my peaceful protests.
“The real criminals are those in power and in control of carbon intensive companies who know the consequences of continuing business as usual, yet continue regardless, emptying the till and taking our future with them,” Stott added.
Activists have pledged to stay sitting in the road outside the Bank of England until the governor of the bank and the Prime Minister meet the group’s demands and bring an end to fossil fuel funding. Some demonstrators have glued themselves to the road.
Co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, Gail Bradbrook, said: “We are in unprecedented times when everything we love is at risk. We have no other power than our own personal sacrifice – today people are breaking bail in desperation as nature’s life support systems are breaking down.”
The protest marks the eleventh consecutive day of action as part of XR’s “Impossible Rebellion” campaign, held over two weeks in the build up to the UN’s COP26 summit. Over 480 activists have so far been arrested.
Extinction Rebellion has organised multiple actions targeting Canada which the group blames for financing environmental destruction and climate change.
As part of protests this week multiple London banks including JP Morgan, Standard Chartered and the London Guildhall have been vandalised. This morning HS2 Rebellion activists were arrested for scaling the Marsh insurer’s building.
Read more: Watch live: HS2 rebellion activists scale the Marsh insurer building