Activists have took aim at fossil fuel finance, declaring the start of “disruption like never before”, readying for a ‘Summer of Sabotage’. They begun with a direct action on Monday 18 August, sabotaging utilities infrastructure at the UK offices of three major fossil fuel investors – one of which was JP Morgan.

A summer of sabotage against global deadly financiers like JP Morgan

In the City of London, activists cut cables and superglued electrical service cabinets at JP Morgan Chase and Allianz:

They demanded companies like JP Morgan stop financing the climate emergency and genocide in Gaza. Activists also targeted the Northampton HQ of Barclaycard, cutting the 5G communications mast serving the building:

Underground climate campaign ‘Shut The System’ took action to announce a period of sustained sabotage targeting key financial culprits in the climate emergency till the end of September. They call for civilians everywhere to join a ‘Summer of Sabotage’ by destroying the property and operating systems of financial institutions providing critical support to deadly industries globally.

The launch action targeted JP Morgan and Barclays. The former is ranked the world’s largest banking investor in fossil fuels, while Barclays is Europe’s largest fossil fuel financier. Allianz, who activists also targeted, is the sixth largest insurer of fossil fuels and an insurer of Elbit Systems. Elbit supplies an estimated 85% of weapons Israel is using in its genocide in Gaza.

Financing the climate crisis and genocide

A spokesperson from Shut The System said on the action against JP Morgan and others:

I am enraged by the financial sector’s continued support for deadly industries. ‘Just doing our job’ wasn’t an excuse in World War II and it isn’t today. They have a choice of which industries they finance. I cannot bear to stand idly by while those in power continue to exacerbate global problems just so the wealthy few can make increased profits. It is unhinged, psychopathic greed at the expense of billions of people.

Shut The System promises that if the financial sector ignores its demands, then by October it will escalate further.

The group took similar action in January, cutting the fibre optic cables of major insurance firms, disrupting internet speeds and causing internet shut downs at offices in Leeds and Birmingham. It also later graffitied messages at the multi-million pound properties of three senior Barclays staff members. The same night, activists spray-painted, smashed windows, and super-glued door locks at more than 20 Barclays branches nationwide. This was to coincide with the morning of its annual general meeting in May.

Another spokesperson said:

We have been forced underground by draconian anti-protest laws. The British state has recently shown how much they are willing to suppress peaceful protest. History shows direct action and sabotage are highly effective so we cannot stop while the climate emergency wages on and we see the most hopeful path forward is to operate beyond the state’s reach.

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By The Canary

This post was originally published on Canary.