Environmental protesters held a ‘die-in’ outside banks in Bury St Edmunds to protest at what they see as the banking sector’s role in climate and ecological change.
Around 20 members of climate crisis activists Extinction Rebellion (XR) lay down outside branches in the town centre for a peaceful protest in front of shoppers today Saturday July 13.
A die-in is a peaceful, non-violent protest where participants lie on the ground for a specified amount of time.
XR Bury St Edmunds member Laura Fellowes described it as a solemn act that "symbolises the kind of future we face without government action on the climate crisis".
"Globally, banks have financed fossil fuels with £1.5 trillion since the Paris Agreement was adopted, with financing on the rise each year," she said.
"Burning fossil fuels is a major cause of the man-made climate emergency we find ourselves in, and our banks should be divesting, not investing in the industry."
"The air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we plant in, the food we eat, and the beauty and diversity of nature that nourishes our psychological well-being, all are being corrupted and compromised by the political and economic systems that promote and support our modern, consumer-focussed lifestyles.
"Today we are targeting the banks to highlight the role they play in this."
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