Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil occupy multiple insurance offices

Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Just Stop Oil have stormed multiple insurance offices today (28 October 2024) in their latest round of protests.

The action has seen XR occupy the lobby of the Walkie Talkie building in Fenchurch Street, which is home to insurers such as Tokio Marine Kiln. Protesters from the group also said they had occupied one of Hiscox’s offices.

🚨 HAPPENING NOW

XR Faith & Global Justice activists have occupied @HiscoxUK demanding they cut ties w/ the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline!

Meanwhile @JustStop_Oil is occupying Chubb & @allianzuknews in Birmingham as part of #InsureOurSurvival actions#StopEACOP #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/ug9MU6xRIi

— Extinction Rebellion UK 🌍 (@XRebellionUK) October 28, 2024

Meanwhile, Just Stop Oil said it had occupied the Colmore Building in Birmingham, which houses insurers such as Chubb and Allianz.

It comes as part of the Insure Our Survival Campaign, which aims to stop insurance firms from insuring new fossil fuel projects.

🚨 BREAKING: INSURE OUR SURVIVAL

🔥 Just Stop Oil have taken action this morning in solidarity with @XRebellionUK’s Insure Our Survival week of action, occupying the lobby of the Colmore building, home to four insurance companies.

🛢️ Chubb, Tokio Marine and Allianz all continue… pic.twitter.com/U2SypxdnIu

— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) October 28, 2024

Warning

XR warned it would carry out the action on 14 October 2024.

The group said it had written to a range of senior executives at UK-based firms, warning them that they had two weeks to cease insuring new fossil fuel projects.

“You have 14 days from today to make a public declaration that you will stop insuring all new fossil fuel projects,” the letter said.

“Your failure to make such a declaration by October 28 will mean that your business in the UK will become the focus of a wide range of non-violent direct actions by thousands of XR activists and their allies during a week of actions in London and across the UK, [as well as] in the weeks and months after that.”

Steve Tooze, a spokesperson for XR campaign Insure Our Survival, added: “The insurance industry has the power to stop the fossil fuel industry in its tracks by withdrawing the insurance that protects them from huge financial losses when things go wrong in a high-risk industry.”