Extinction Rebellion's 'dirty scrubbers' to clean Oswestry bank in fossil fuel protest
A bank will get an "unscheduled clean" when climate campaigners protest against the corporation's investment in fossil fuels.
Extinction Rebellion Oswestry & Borders is staging a ‘bank cleaning’ protest at Barclays in Oswestry on Saturday.
A group of "dirty scrubbers" will bring sponges, mops and buckets in an attempt to clean up "Europe’s dirtiest bank". Scrubbing the bank’s windows and polishing the interior, the group will call out Barclays for investing in fossil fuels and accuse it of "greenwash".
It's not the first time the group has targeted the branch: last year a "theatrical" protest was performed outside, including people dressed as jesters
Mike Bastow, a spokesperson for XR Oswestry & Borders, said: "We decided to clean Barclays because they are the dirtiest bank in Europe, investing billions in oil, gas and fracking.
"Instead of helping us solve the climate crisis, Barclays is actively making it worse," he added.
During the protest Barclays customers will be given leaflets explaining how to switch banks.
Dawn Meadows from Oswestry, who will cut up her Barclays debit card during the protest, says she decided to leave Barclays after 35 years as a customer.
"Switching banks was really easy and it means I now have a clear conscience. I don’t want my hard-earned money being used to fund the destruction of the planet," she said.
The Oswestry protest is part of a wider series of protests against Barclays rolling out across Wales and the Midlands during February called ‘Better Without Barclays’. Activists plan to call out the bank’s continued refusal to stop investing in fossil fuels across the month with a variety of different protests.
Mike added: "The climate emergency is the biggest threat we face. As individuals we’re all trying to cut our carbon footprints.
"The government says it cares about the climate, yet HMRC uses Barclays to process its payments. It is madness but it will only stop if people speak out."
