Flashmob RBS and E-On Recruitment Stalls

Over 50 Manchester students staged a flash mob demonstration at the RBS and E.On Recruitments stalls on Thursday 23rd October 2008. The group were protesting against the banks funding of climate chaos and against E.On’s plans to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth. At precisely 1pm, loose coal was dumped on the Royal Bank of Scotland and E-On recruitment stalls. Meanwhile, around 50 demonstrators stripped off their jackets to reveal bright yellow t-shirts with the words, “LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND” emblazoned across their chests. A list of RBS’ environmental crimes was then read out to prospective employees attending the recruitment fair at Manchester Central (GMEX) convention centre. [4] Some of the group were then forcibly ejected by security guards whilst others moved on to pay a visit to the E-On recruitment stall. E-On were questioned as to how their plans for a new coal fired power station squared with our commitment to reduce CO2 levels. Toby Brett, 19, physics student at the University of Manchester says, “RBS, formerly priding itself on being “the oil and gas bank”, vastly outstrips all other UK banks in terms of funding climate change. In fact RBS investments emit more carbon dioxide per year than the whole of Scotland.”[6] “Whilst I commend them for investing in renewable forms of energy as well as fossil fuels the two simply do not cancel out.” “We are calling for an immediate halt to highly destructive investment such as in tar sands extraction and a swift switch to renewables. Quite frankly the world cannot wait.” Marina Gerner, 20, Politics, Philosophy and Economics student and campaigns secretary at the University of Manchester’s Students Union says, “Coal is the dirtiest, most emissions intensive of fossil fuels and it is outrageous to see how our banks invest in it.”