The Portuguese environmental activist collective Climáximo expressed its solidarity with the seven women of the UK activist group Extinction Rebellion, who have been sentenced to two years in prison for breaking the glass of the headquarters of the Barclays bank.
“The seven activists broke the bank’s windows to expose the climate crimes of Barclays Bank and to raise public awareness of the climate crisis and the role of financial institutions in it,” Climáximo emphasized in a statement sent to the editors. has been sent.
On April 7 last year, seven women went to the bank’s headquarters and broke the glass at the entrance to the building. Each had a sign that read “Better broken windows than broken promises”.
According to the organization, Barclays has invested more than $167 billion in fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement and remains one of the largest fossil fuel banks in the UK and in the world (it is the 7th bank in the world with the highest investment in fossil fuels). ).
The defendants were charged with almost £100,000 in damages to headquarters. Each will pay £500 in legal fees, for which Extinction Rebellion has already launched a fundraising campaign. Activists insist the real culprit remains Barclays and the other banks that have invested in fossil fuels since 2016.
“We are not above the law. I accept that I broke glass. I accept that I can be convicted, but I cannot accept that I am a criminal as companies like Barclays continue to violate binding agreements and cause suffering and death across the whole world.’ said in court one of the defendants, former teacher Lucy Porter.
“The kids I taught would not consent to have their world destroyed in the name of extraction, destruction, and profit for a powerful few—no one asked their permission. They were not given a vote or a chance to exercise democratic rights.” he added.
Hundreds of people marched to court this Friday, dressed as suffragettes, in support of the activists.
This is Extinction Rebellion UK’s eighth lawsuit. Three of the trials resulted in the acquittal of the activists.
Source: DN
