Erik McGregor Photography

Erik McGregor is a New York City based artist, photographer and activist.

Eleven Climate Activists arrested for storming barricades and pouring fake oil at BlackRock HQ

New York, NY — On April 28, 2023 eleven Climate Activists were arrested after storming the barricades and pouring fake oil at BlackRock headquarters in Manhattan.

Along with 75 other activists with pitchforks, they shut down the HQ entrance to demand that the company – the world’s largest investor in fossil fuels – end new investments in coal, oil and gas, in line with the basic scientific requirements of avoiding global climate catastrophe.

“With around $9 trillion total in investments, BlackRock is so big it is altering geologic history by funneling hundreds of billions of dollars into fossil fuels,” said Alice Hu, Senior Climate Campaigner at New York Communities for Change. “We’re infuriated, and for good reason: BlackRock is playing a leading role in destroying the planet when it could be helping save us instead by steering clients away from fossil fuel investments.”

Today’s arrests are part of a weeklong series of “Earth Day to May Day” protests targeting the biggest Wall Street financiers of fossil fuels.

From Monday to Tuesday, protesters took over Citigroup’s HQ and then staged the first overnight occupation targeting the bank’s fossil fuel funding in advance of its Annual General Meeting.

On Wednesday, protesters shut down KKR’s HQ in the first-ever civil disobedience targeting the company’s fossil fuel investments. Six protesters were arrested at KKR.

The climate movement has been waging a yearslong international campaign to push BlackRock to end new investments in fossil fuels.

Other recent US efforts include a disruption of BlackRock President Robert Kapito’s remarks at the 2023 Bank of America Securities Financial Services Conference this February, and two disruptive protests at the company’s headquarters last October, which together resulted in a total of 38 arrests of faith leaders and other climate activists engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience.

Internationally, protesters in France also stormed the firm’s Paris office earlier this month, and protesters in Ireland were arrested after gluing themselves to the Dublin entrance doors in February.

Today’s protest was led by New York Communities for Change, Reclaim our Tomorrow, and Rise & Resist

Eleven Climate Activists arrested disrupting BlackRock

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