CLIMATE activists in Dumfries defaced the town’s branch of Barclay’s last Friday in protest at the banking group’s investment in fossil fuels.
Staff at the branch near the Burns Statue arrived to find the window had been covered in ‘In Case of Climate Emergency Break Glass’ stickers. The message on the stickers makes reference to the ‘Barclays 7’, a group of seven climate activists who narrowly avoided jail sentences after they carefully cracked windows at Barclays HQ at Canary Wharf in London.
The act of civil disobedience in Dumfries is part of a national campaign by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers of Barclays’ continued investments in oil, gas and coal projects.
XR Dumfries member Dr Katie Percival said of the action: “This peaceful act of disruption is very much a desperate last resort of climate activists, who have been trying for years to persuade Barclays to stop funding fossil fuels and help society instead transition to a healthier and more sustainable economy.
“While I’m sorry for any disruption to Barclays staff and customers, we think it’s really important to let the people of Dumfries know that this is happening, right under our noses and with customers’ money.
“What climate change will mean for the people of Dumfries is more extreme heavy rainfall, wetter winters, if you can believe it could get wetter than the winter we’ve just had, and more flooding, leading to damage to homes and businesses.
“As a health professional, I’m also concerned about the increased risk of lung, heart and stroke disease that we know air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes to my patients, which is why I’m supporting this action.”
