Image credit: Extinction Rebellion Manchester
Insurance companies AIG, AXA, Howden, Liberty Mutual, Markel, Marsh, Tokio Marine, Travelers, Swiss Re, and WTW were among those targeted by weeklong protests held by Extinction Rebellion (XR) across the UK from October 28 as part of the group’s “Insure Our Survival” campaign.
In Manchester, protesters carried placards and banners with messages like “Only fools insure fossil fuels” outside the premises of several insurers, looking to get the industry to stop backing new oil, gas, and coal projects.
“Dump all new oil, gas, and coal now – or we’ll keep coming back,” said XR Manchester’s Lisa Ridley, who stressed that fossil fuel projects create the extreme weather that is causing floods.
She stated: “The fossil fuel industry needs insurance to go ahead with more digging and drilling for oil, gas, and coal which is accelerating the climate crisis. The Insurers could be climate heroes and use their ‘superpower’ to shut down the fossil fuel industry and help save our entire civilisation and the biosphere that we rely on for life. They could invest in renewable energy projects instead and ensure our survival.”
In London, six XR activists were arrested after WTW’s office was chalk-sprayed. Other actions included a blockade of the Gherkin building to target Swiss Re, plus an advertising van that toured the City of London while playing videos depicting insurance chief executives as climate criminals. Protesters in Newbury also held a demonstration outside a Howden branch.
Steve Tooze, a spokesperson for the campaign, declared: “We’re making it clear to insurers that they have the power to stop us going hungry and having our homes flooded and made uninsurable. They can make it impossible for fossil fuel bosses to keep drilling and digging by pulling the plug on the insurance that covers their huge financial losses if things go wrong.
“Unless insurers meet our demand to stop insuring new oil and gas, we will keep targeting them with mass non-violent direct action to damage their reputations with the public and business community and hit their share price.”
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