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Activists just targeted genocide and climate crisis financiers Barclays and Blackrock across five countries in one morning

On Monday 29 September, climate justice activists joined underground group Shut The System (STS) in international direct action against the financial system’s complicity in the climate crisis and imperialism. In the major financial centres of Paris, Hamburg, Geneva, Vienna and London, activists took aim at Barclays, Europe’s largest banking investor in fossil fuels and BlackRock, the world’s second largest investor in fossil fuels.

Barclays and Blackrock: investing in climate collapse and genocide

In London, STS graffitied messages and threw paint over the multi-million pound properties of two senior staff members at Barclays: CEO Vimlesh Maru and global head of sustainable finance Daniel Hanna:

Devonport - the Hyde Park Estate building in London sprayed with red paint.

Interior of a building doused in red paint.

Days before, activists sent letters to their neighbours, inviting them to a phony cocktail party hosted by the Barclays executives. These outlined Barclays continued investments in genocide and climate collapse:

Letter which reads: Dear Neighbour IT'S PARTY TIME !! Dear neighbour, You are cordially invited to my cocktail party on Saturday 4th October at 12.00 midday, 'What are we celebrating?' I hear you ask. Well let me explain. As an executive at Barclays for the past two years, I've gone from success to success, profiting from other people's misery. From financing the collapse of our climate, to funding the genocide in Gaza, whatever the atrocity, I've been there to make a shed-load of money whilst innocent women and children die.

Alongside the disruption at homes of senior staff, activists super-glued door locks and graffitied multiple Barclays branches across the UK. This included branches in London, Brighton, Norwich, and Malvern.

In Paris, activists from Carnage Total covered the entrance of Barclays’ French headquarters in paint:

Barclays building in Paris doused in paint.

Activist dousing a Barclays building in Paris in red paint.

Meanwhile, Shut Elbit Down sprayed blood-red paint over the entrance of BlackRock’s Vienna office. They graffitied it with “BlackRock finances genocide”, calling out the complicit company.

Activists in Hamburg, Germany graffitied “Free Sudan, Congo, Gaza” at Barclays consumer bank Europe’s office:

Red graffiti outside the Barclays building in Hamburg that reads: "Free Sudan, Congo, Gaza".

The German division was acquired by BAWAG Group but maintains previous products and branding as part of a transitional period until 2026.

Time to divest from deadly fossil fuels and the arms trade

Later that morning, act now! blocked the entrance of Barclays’ Geneva office by dispersing bags of coal on the ground and holding up signs asking the bank to “Stop financing climate change, invest in our future!”:

Activists lay out in front of Barclays' office entrance in Geneva with a line of coal in front of them.

The activists aim to force these investors to align their practices with credible pathways to tackling climate collapse. As a first step, they demand immediate divestment from coal, the most polluting fossil fuel. They also urge immediate divestment from arms companies supplying Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

A spokesperson from Shut The System UK said:

Seeing the deadly investments of elite banks, it’s not surprising more people are taking action against them. Already, Shut The System has forced three financial institutions to shift. As civilians, we have no choice but to fight for a fair economy designed for humanity and nature’s flourishing, replacing the lethal illusion of infinite growth for growth’s sake alone. These actions mark the start of even greater escalation, unless financial institutions make an urgent step-change in practices.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Carnage Total (XR) in France said:

Who is responsible for the climate catastrophe and the ongoing genocide in Palestine? Barclays is one of the culprits. In order to shame them into action we have covered the entrance of their Paris headquarters in paint. What happens tomorrow is up to them: hard commitments to peace and a sustainable economy or continued anger at their failure to act responsibly with regards to fossil fuels and the Israeli government.

Echoing this, a spokesperson from Shut Elbit Down in Austria added:

BlackRock is a multinational investment management corporation responsible for managing over $12.5 trillion in assets as of 2025. While it has a key role and responsibility in tackling the climate crisis, it votes against climate resolutions and greenwashes funds. Furthermore, it invests in arms companies directly aiding the Gaza genocide like Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon, which is why we are taking action now.

The action ends Shut The System’s ‘Summer of Sabotage‘ the group on 18 August. To launch it, activists cut electric cables at the London offices of JP Morgan Chase, Allianz, and Barclays. Since then, STS activists have returned more than 200 times to spray paint, glue locks, cut power and Wi-Fi at Barclays’ buildings across the UK.

Featured images supplied.

By The Canary

This post was originally published on Canary.