About 200 Extinction Rebellion protesters targeted the medieval Guildhall Building, the headquarters of the City of London Corporation that operates the city’s historic financial centre.
Three activists scaled the facade of the ornate Guildhall Building, parts of which date from the 15th century, lit red torches and hung a banner that read “Common Emancipation – Freedom Together.”
Extinction Rebellion, which caused chaos on London’s roads two years ago, said the protest was directed at the city’s financial district, which they blame for fueling climate change.
The group wants a response from governments and an immediate phase-out of fossil fuels to prevent drastic climate change.
The Extinction Rebellion movement paralyzed central London during 11 days of demonstrations in 2019, gaining publicity but also drawing criticism from some politicians who said the police were too tolerant.
The City of London is the UK’s smallest local government and, unlike most traditional local governments in the UK, it formally proclaims its mission to promote the importance of financial services to the British economy.
Representatives claim it is the oldest continuously operating representative local government in the world, for at least a thousand years running the area where, among other things, the Bank of England and St. Pee.
