Extinction Rebellion campaigners occupy ING bank branches across Netherlands
Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion are campaigning nationally at ING branches on Saturday to protest against the bank's financing of the fossil industry. Activists entered the bank’s locations in 20 cities in an attempt to occupy them. They have refused to leave until ING pledges to immediately stop financing the fossil fuel industry.
According to Extinction Rebellion, protesters in Amsterdam, Nijmegen, and elsewhere, either chained or glued themselves to ING offices. The action group says that customers and employees of the bank are not being hindered by the "rebels," the organization calls the activists.
The climate activists argue that ING invests about 8.5 billion euros annually in oil, gas and coal, including new projects, "for which there is no room in the escalating climate crisis." Extinction Rebellion has campaigned against ING's fossil policy several times this year, especially at the head office in Amsterdam-Zuidoost.
“We have been campaigning for some time, but ING does not want to listen. Customers now also need to know what their trusted bank does with their money. That familiar orange lion has oil on his claws," Extinction Rebellion said in a statement.“We are running out of time to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis. ING's fossil policy does not fit in with that. It instead exacerbates the climate crisis.”
The organization planned to occupy 24 bank branches in total. In a statement, it said these where located in the following places:
- Alkmaar
- Almere
- Amsterdam Center
- Amsterdam East
- Amsterdam North
- Amsterdam West
- Amsterdam West
- Amersfoort
- Apeldoorn
- Arnhem
- Delft
- Den Bosch
- The Hague
- Deventer
- Enschede
- Eindhoven
- Gouda
- Groningen
- Haarlem
- Nijmegen
- Rotterdam
- Utrecht
- Zaandam
- Zeist
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
