Evening StandardPiccadilly Circus anti-fracking protest: Campaigners blockade Barclays bank by sipping tea on sofa | Evening Standard

Piccadilly Circus anti-fracking protest: Campaigners blockade Barclays bank by sipping tea on sofa

Campaigners blockade Barclays bank in anti-fracking protest

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Francesca Gillett
29 October 2016

Campaigners from Friends of the Earth stood outside the glass windows of the central London Barclays branch and held signs and teapots as they protested against fracking.

The protest is a bid to stop council-approved plans for company Third Energy, which is largely owned by Barclays, to begin fracking in Ryedale, north Yorkshire.

The protesters, including some who dressed up in high-vis workmen’s outfits and hard hats, held signs which read “keep Ryedale rural, NO fracking”.

Anti-fracking: The protest is targeting Barclays bank, which largely owns a company which plans to frack in Yorkshire.
James Cracknell.

Campaigners also gave out biscuits imprinted with anti-fracking messages.

Other signs read: “Don’t keep calm and stop fracking.”

The sit-in, at the busy London intersection, was noticed by many passers-by, some of whom shared what they had seen on social meida.

Stephen Rockman said on Twitter: “Cops, protesters, Barclays & tourists…hard tell who’s more bemused.”

The protest was organised by Frack Off London and Divest London.

The sit-in began at 11.45am and saw Ryedale resident Nicky Hollins and her 13-year-old daughter sit in a mock-up of their living room.

Hard hats: The campaigners donned high-vis jackets and workman gear.
Megan Vaughan

Photos from the crowded scene also showed officers from the Met Police standing by.

The protest is part of a week of similar action, with sit-ins also held outside branches in Cambridge, Manchester and Hastings.

North Yorkshire County Council gave permission to Third Energy to frack in May this year.

Evening Standard has contacted Barclays for comment.