Extinction Rebellion occupy office of Top 50 broker in latest protest

Extinction Rebellion (XR) occupied one of Marsh’s UK offices in its latest round of insurance-related protests.

Earlier this week (8 January 2025), the group targeted the broker’s Manchester office in 12 Booth Street, Belvedere.

The protest was related to fossil fuels, with protesters calling for the support of such projects to be ended.

In a post on X, XR’s northern arm said: “Local residents are occupying the office lobby in Manchester to ask Marsh to stop ‘funding our destruction’ by insuring fossil fuel projects and instead ‘insure our future’ by moving towards a green economy.”

Local residents are occupying the office lobby in Manchester to ask Marsh to stop “funding our destruction” by insuring fossil fuel projects and instead “insure our future” by moving towards a green economy. pic.twitter.com/31sgBbDvuJ

— XR North (@Rebellion_North) January 8, 2025

Marsh is ranked second in Insurance Times’ Top 50 Brokers 2024 report, with it securing a revenue of £1.76bn for the year ending December 2023.

Campaign

The protest comes following multiple protests during late 2024.

These were part of the Insure Our Survival campaign, which aims to stop insurance firms from insuring new fossil fuel projects.

Speaking to Insurance Times, Isabelle L’Héritier, European co-coordinator at Insure Our Future, alleged that some insurers’ actions were hindering progress toward reducing emissions and transitioning to renewable energy.

She warned that if they “refuse to stop supporting the expansion of fossil fuels”, the group will “hold them accountable”.

“Insurers must not ignore the fundamental and consistent prediction of climate scientists – any delay in cutting emissions drastically today will put lives, economies and the future of humanity in unacceptable danger tomorrow,” she added.