Extinction Rebellion stages protest in Chesterfield against Barclays bank investment in fossil fuel companies

Extinction Rebellion staged a theatrical, visual and musical action outside Barclays bank in Chesterfield where several members used mops, buckets and dusters to clean the exterior.

Other campaigners handed out flyers explaining what members of the public could do to put pressure on Barclays and a samba band entertained passers-by.

The campaign group claims that Barclays is the most invested in coal, oil and gas projects and industries of any bank in Europe.

A report compiled by Greenpeace says that Barclays is just behind the US banks when it comes to fossil fuel funding. From 2016 to 2018, Barclays provided $85 billion in funding to fossil fuel companies, the report claims. This included businesses involved in coal, fracking, tar sands, and Arctic oil projects. Of this, $24 billion was for companies heavily involved in expanding the extraction and use of fossil fuels.

Mitch Cadet-Rose, of Extinction Chesterfield and NE Derbyshire, said: “We're doing our best to clean up Barclays with our mops and dusters, but we can’t do it alone. We will be telling Barclays customers about where their money is going and asking them to tell their bank, they are not happy with the dirty investments, they can also switch to a more ethical bank if they wish.”

The group is part of a global movement set up to fight climate change using non-violence and