Extinction Rebellion protest: Activists enter Shell HQ and glue themselves to government buildings

Activists have glued themselves to Shell HQ and a UK government building in protests to demand action on the climate crisis as Extinction Rebellion continued its week of protests in London.

Demonstrators entered the oil and gas company offices on Wednesday afternoon, with some using glue to stick themselves to the reception desk and the ground outside.

Earlier in the day, scientists - dressed in white lab coats - glued themselves to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy building to call for no new fossil fuels.

It comes during a week of mass action by XR, which has also seen the entrance to Lloyd’s of London blocked in protest at the insurance sector’s backing of the fossil fuel industry.

Key Points

• Scientists glueing themselves to government departments

• XR blocks insurance giant offices in week of action

• Activists enter Shell building in London

09:43 , Zoe Tidman

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Extinction Rebellion action in London during a week of protests.

10:03 , Zoe Tidman

It is not yet clear what Extinction Rebellion are planning today.

But we do know activists are meeting at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park around about now before launching into another day of “mass action”.

XR blocks insurance giant offices in week of action

10:13 , Zoe Tidman

While waiting to find out what they are planning to do, here is a recap of what happened yesterday.

Activists targeted insurance giant Lloyd’s of London offices, blocking employees from entering in the morning.

Matt Mathers reported:

Extinction Rebellion protesters block entrance to Lloyds of London headquarters

‘Why do you think people like me deserve to go to prison?'

10:34 , Zoe Tidman

Keir Starmer has been confronted by a youth climate activist after his party called on the government to ban fossil fuel protests across Britain.

The opposition leader looked uncomfortable when Lauren MacDonald, a 21-year-old Scottish climate activist, asked him: “Why do you think that people like me deserve to go to prison?”

Keir Starmer confronted by climate activist: ‘Why do you want to send me to prison?’

Who are XR?

10:46 , Zoe Tidman

Ahead of another day of protests in London, my colleague Joanna Taylor takes a look at who Extinction Rebellion are and their aims.

Read here:

Who are Extinction Rebellion and what are their aims?

‘The social contract is broken'

10:58 , Zoe Tidman

Here is XR tweeting today ahead of more planned action:

Meanwhile climate activists elsewhere...

11:11 , Zoe Tidman

XR are not the only climate group in action today.

Just Stop Oil say its members have occupied a tanker in Essex this morning:

11:43 , Zoe Tidman

Here are some pictures from what Extinction Rebellion got up to yesterday:

XR says scientists glueing themselves to government departments

11:48 , Zoe Tidman

Extinction Rebellion says scientists are “glueing themselves to government departments” to call for no new oil and gas:

Scientific papers stuck to BEIS building

12:03 , Zoe Tidman

Scientists for XR says the Business for Energy and Industrial Strategy is being targeted.

The group says scientific papers are also being stuck to the building:

‘New fossil fuel production puts us in danger'

12:12 , Zoe Tidman

According to Scientists for XR, Dr Abi Perrin is a microbiologist taking part in the protest.

“The science is clear - new fossil fuel production puts us all in danger. Our government’s strategy furthers the harm,” she is reported as saying:

Images of BEIS protest

12:28 , Zoe Tidman

Here is what going on outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy now:

What is going on with oil and gas in the UK anyway?

12:30 , Zoe Tidman

The UK government pledged to pursue new fossil fuel projects in the North Sea just last week.

In a much-anticipated energy security strategy, Boris Johnson said: “We’re going to make better use of the oil and gas in our own backyard by giving the energy fields of the North Sea a new lease of life.”

The document tries to explain this during the climate crisis. “Net zero is a smooth transition, not an immediate extinction, for oil and gas,” it says.

Harry Cockburn has more on the strategy - and criticisms of it - here:

UK energy strategy will give North Sea oil and gas ‘new lease of life’, says Johnson

‘The fastest way to get Extinction Rebellion to stop is to listen to them'

12:49 , Zoe Tidman

As Extinction Rebellion promise another week of disruption, Harry Cockburn, our environment correspondent, writes:

“It is all completely unnecessary, and the people with the power to end the disruption are those in government.”

Read his analysis here:

The fastest way to get Extinction Rebellion to shut up is to listen to them

‘The PM asked for a climate pass with the war in Ukraine,’ scientist at protest says

13:00 , Zoe Tidman

Pete Knapp, an air quality scientist at the protest today, says: “The government department is responsible for choosing between a liveable planet and fossil fuels and they are choosing fossil fuels.”

He added: “The PM asked for a climate pass with the war in Ukraine - this is not how science works. We don’t have a tranquil period to cut fossil fuels.”

XR training

13:15 , Zoe Tidman

Extinction Rebellion ran a non-violence training course in London to prepare new recruits for the planned wave of protests this month.

Rory Sullivan has more here:

Extinction Rebellion stage mass sit-down protest in central London

XR protesters enter Shell building in London - report from scene

14:02 , Zoe Tidman

Extinction Rebellion members have now entered the Shell building in London.

Other activists are gluing themselves to the ground outside the building in South Bank.

Our climate correspondent, Saphora Smith, is at the scene. More to come.

Shell ‘plays huge part’ in destroying habitats, activist says

14:12 , Zoe Tidman

Saphora Smith, our climate correspondent, is speaking to XR activists at the protest at Shell HQ. She reports:

Andy Smith, 46, a climate activist involved in the demonstration he was motivated by concern for the future of his four young nieces.

“It’s absolutely heart-breaking to think they’re inheriting a world that has potentially just been ruined by greed and a willingness not to change,” he said. “That’s the key motivation.”

Mr Smith, an art teacher, said there were also many species, both plants and animals, that were at risk and yet were voiceless.

“There are eight and half million different species who have zero say in any of this who are just being decimated and destroyed their habitats just trashed,” he said. “And companies like Shell play a huge part in that.”

Activists glue themselves to Shell HQ

14:15 , Zoe Tidman

It looks like activists have also glued themselves to the reception desk at Shell HQ:

XR at Shell HQ

14:33 , Zoe Tidman

Here are some more images from Shell HQ:

‘Awful greenwashing'

14:45 , Zoe Tidman

From Saphora Smith, our climate correspondent at Shell HQ:

Tim Jones, a former teacher from Sheffield, said while Extinction Rebellion had done a lot to disrupt the public the group activists knew now that they needed to do more to target the institutions responsible for the climate crisis.

“Shell is one of the biggest offenders,” he said, before taking part in the action Wednesday. “The awful, awful greenwashing they’re doing, they’re portraying themselves as the good guys in this – that they’re the one who are going to get us out of this crisis.”

Asked whether Extinction Rebellion was changing tactics because of the criticism levelled at the group for causing disruption to members of the public, Mr Jones, 39, said wider disruption was still necessary.

“There has to be an element of disruption, we can’t only target big corporations because they’re really good at ignoring disruption,” he said. “People won’t listen until they can feel and that’s critical to our theory of change.”

Mr Jones said the group apologised for disrupting people’s lives but said it had been shown to be one of the key success factors in any civil resistance movement.

‘People are suffering right now,’ activist glued to floor outside Shell HQ says

14:50 , Zoe Tidman

More from Saphora Smith at Shell HQ:

Addie May, 31, said she was stuck on the floor outside Shell because she was trying to put pressure on government and big business to divest from fossil fuels and use and build up renewable energy.

“The climate catastrophe is already happening and people are already suffering right now,” she said. “We can change this all now if systems change, if the government and big business wanted to change it tomorrow they really really could.”

Ms May said they were forced to take action like this because the government and big business was not listening to anyone.

Michael, 39, who was stuck on the floor next to her said companies like Shell have known about the damage that they’ve been doing to the environment for decades.

“Companies like this really bear the brunt of the responsibility in my opinion,” he said. “We’re calling on them to now try to make amends for some of that and make bolder moves forward.”

More pictures coming out of Shell HQ protest...

15:08 , Zoe Tidman

‘Insiders wanted'

15:24 , Zoe Tidman

Extinction Rebellion says it is also looking for whistleblowers. Activists have put up posters saying “insiders wanted” on the Shell HQ reception desk.

Protest at Shell HQ last week

15:30 , Zoe Tidman

Today’s project comes just a week after XR activists threw fake oil over the Shell HQ:

Shell statement

15:45 , Zoe Tidman

A Shell spokesperson said:

“We agree that society needs to take urgent action on climate change. Shell has a clear target to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050, in step with society.

“We are also committed to the UK and are planning to invest between £20 to 25bn in the UK energy system over the next decade – with more than 75 per centof this will be in low and zero-carbon, including offshore wind, hydrogen and electric mobility.

“We respect the right of everyone to express their point of view and welcome constructive engagement on our strategy and the energy transition. We do ask, however, that in doing so people do not threaten or intimidate our people or put anyone’s safety at risk.”

‘It feels like the only thing we can do'

15:47 , Zoe Tidman

More from Saphora Smith at Shell HQ:

Ruskin Wilson, 23, said he had stuck himself to the floor outside Shell headquarters in London because fossil fuels and the corporations that burn them are the main causes of the climate crisis.

“They have no interest in stopping despite all of the disastrous impacts it will have ecology, people, everything,” he said. “Despite that they’ll still continue to burn fossil fuels, so we’re here glued to the floor in protest against that because it feels like the only thing that we can do.”

Mr Wilson who studies environmental management at the University of West of England in Bristol said he was scared of the future the planet was headed for. He said he hoped the demonstration today would prompt employees of Shell question who they work for and what they do for a living.

“Hopefully they’ll see a better way,” he said. “There’s a better way of life out there where we don’t have to burn fossil fuels and destroy the climate and destroy people’s lives.”

16:06 , Zoe Tidman

That is all from us for today. Thanks for following.