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Action guide

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introduction

contentSNo new fossil fuel infrastructure can be constructed after 2017 unless other installations are closed before the end of their lifetime. If we’re serious about preventing catastrophic warming, we can’t dig any new coal mines, drill any new fields, build any more pipelines. Not a single one.

Yet right now, projected investment in new fields, mines, and transportation infrastructure over the next twenty years is worth $14 trillion. Barclays is a major investor in fossil fuel infrastructure across the globe. It’s time for them to halt their support for the fossil fuel industry before they crash the climate or the economy.

There’s a mass movement across the planet resisting the fossil fuel industry, and their financial and political backers. Front-line communities like the Sioux

Native American people of Standing Rock are putting their bodies in the way of pipelines and mines. Students have spearheaded what has become a $3.4 trillion global Fossil Free divestment movement. Our movement is powerful and is growing, but the banking industry continues to finance fossil fuel projects. Years of valuable work from front-line communities and grass-roots divestment activists stigmatising the fossil fuel industry has created the political space for something much bigger.

By demanding that banks stop financing new fossil fuel projects, starting with Barclays, we can begin to shift the global economy away from dependence on fossil fuels and towards a just transition to renewable energy.

“it iS our collective duty towArdS inA MAkA (Mother eArth) And the next generAtionS thAt we hold finAnciAl

inStitutionS reSponSible in enSuring thAt they Are not finAncing projectS like dApl, tAr SAndS pipelineS,

frAcked gAS plAntS, coAl And other inStitutionS thAt AdverSely iMpAct indigenouS, low-incoMe And

coMMunitieS of color Such AS privAte priSonS And iMMigrAtion detention centerS. it iS iMportAnt, And neceSSAry, to illuMinAte juSt exActly where theSe

inStitutionS Are inveSting our Money.”MAtt reMle (lAkotA), editor of lASt reAl indiAnS And co-founder of MAzASkA tAlkS

3 introduction

4 crAShing the cliMAte

6 crAShing the econoMy

7 why bArclAyS?

8 globAl leAder

9 the good, the bAd & the ugly

10 leSSonS froM Anti-ApArtheid

12 victorieS So fAr

14 diveSt bArclAyS cAMpAign AiMS

17 front-line SoidArity

21 boycott bArclAyS 0n your cAMpuS

33 dAMAge bArclAyS reputAtion off cAMpuS

40 Action plAnning

4 554

In December 2015 world governments agreed to limit average global warming to “well below” 2°C, whilst acknowledging the desirability of curbing rising temperatures to 1.5°C. This agreement was reached due to years of struggle by the people most immediately threatened by climate change and by fossil fuel projects the world over.

Global reserves of oil, gas and coal contain enough CO2 to smash through the 2°C ceiling. We need to keep the vast majority of known fossil fuels in the ground. Worse still, these “developed reserves” amount to only 30% of prospected fossil fuels, and fossil fuel companies are constantly seeking to bring new reserves into development in order to protect their profits at the expense of everyone else on Earth.

The new reality for power production according to a recent report from the University of Oxford, is that no new fossil fuel infrastructure can be constructed after 2017 unless other installations are closed before the end of their lifetime, dismantled, or modernised.

So we cannot afford to construct any new infrastructure which relies on fossil fuel extraction. We cannot dig any new coal mines, drill any new oil fields, build any more pipelines. Not a single one.

crAShing the cliMAteFossil fuel companies will stop at nothing to dig up and sell every last bit of coal, gas and oil. Right now, projected investment in new fields, mines, and distribution infrastructure over the next twenty years is worth $14 trillion.

But here’s the catch – fossil fuel companies cannot get to their reserves without loaning serious amounts of money. The sheer enormity of most fossil fuel infrastructure means it needs large, long-term investment, with many projects not breaking even for decades. Even BP, Shell and ExxonMobil don’t have that kind of money just sitting around.

So where do they get all of that cash? We’ll give you one guess. Yep - the banks! Those same institutions responsible for crashing the economy in 2008 are conspiring to crash the climate by 2030. And it will come as no surprise that the UK is a hotbed of fossil fuel finance: high street banks like RBS, HSBC and Barclays are all big names globally in fossil fuel investment.

“the chAllengeS currently poSed by cliMAte chAnge pAle

in SignificAnce coMpAred with whAt Might coMe... [to Meet the 2°c tArget] would

render the vASt MAjority of reServeS ‘StrAnded’ — oil,

gAS And coAl thAt will be literAlly unburnAble... the

expoSure of uk inveStorS to theSe ShiftS iS potentiAlly huge. once cliMAte chAnge

becoMeS A defining iSSue for finAnciAl StAbility, it MAy

AlreAdy be too lAte”MArk cArney,

governor of the bAnk of englAnd Avoiding cliMAte cAtAStrophe• 1°C = current global average

temperature rises post-industrialisation

• “1.5°C to stay alive” – small island nation climate conference delegates

• 2°C = runaway climate catastrophe• 80% known fossil fuels must stay

in the ground to avoid this chaos

6 776

Barclays is a truly global player in the high stakes game of financing catastrophic climate change. In 2016 alone, they sank more than $4bn into these industries. That’s more than in 2014 or 2015!

Let’s get this straight: in the year following the single most momentous climate agreement of all time, and despite signing the Paris Pledge for Action, in which they affirm their “strong commitment to a safe and stable climate in which temperature rise is limited to under 2 degrees Celsius,” Barclays lent more than $1.7bn to coal, held on to a controlling stake in UK fracking company Third Energy, and underwrote a public offering for the company responsible for the Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline.

why bArclAySThat’s despite already coming under fire for financing the companies behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, which was met with a wave of resistance by indigenous people and allies at Standing Rock. You could be forgiven for thinking that Barclays only have eyes for their bottom line.

Barclays like any bank are not invincible to public pressure. It is our money, funnelled in to their mass gambling machine through their high street retail arm, that allows them to bankroll ecological destruction, human rights abuses, and climate change. With a sustained campaign to divest Barclays and sever their connections with cultural institutions that lend them false legitimacy, we can force their hand, and keep the remaining fossil fuel reserves where they belong - in the ground.

crAShing the econoMyBanks pouring money into the fossil fuel industry is a lose, lose situation. If society gets it together to avoid climate chaos by keeping fossil fuels in the ground, the new mines, pipelines and gas fields banks are currently spending $billions on will become worthless. They will become stranded assets. The ‘carbon bubble’ associated with fossil fuel assets is arguably one of the biggest risks to the global economy.

There has been increasing public debate in the UK around the carbon bubble, carbon lock-in and the risks posed by public institutions’ investment in the fossil fuel industry. However, we are still waiting to see a significant reduction in capital investment in fossil fuel extraction by high-street banks.

The longer banks carry on loaning $billions to the fossil fuel industry the bigger their losses will be and the bigger the bail out they will demand. We can expect to hear cries of ‘too big to fail’ once again from politicians as they sink public money into filling the holes on banks’ balance sheets left by bankrupt mines, oil fields and pipelines.

If banks continue their reckless investments in fossil fuel projects and companies, it will be the most vulnerable in society who pay the price, whether we end up crashing the climate or bailing out the banks.

the cArbon bubbleThe carbon bubble is a theory that shares in fossil fuel companies will turn out to be overvalued because the bulk of their oil, coal and gas reserves cannot be burnt without further destabilising the climate. As such, the price of fossil fuel shares is an inflated “bubble” in the market.

cArbon lock-inFossil fuel infrastructure is huge. It’s drilling rigs, export terminals, tankers, pipelines. Once these are built they have their own inertia. Once they’ve committed the cash, profit-hungry investors will fight tooth and nail to keep them afloat till they pay back the costs of the loans to build them.

too big to fAil The banking and finance sector underpins the global economy. As regulations were rolled back with greater neoliberalism, banks sought profit in increasingly irresponsible ways. With the Great Recession of the late 2000s, their house of cards came crashing down. Governments rescued banks with huge bailouts arguing that the banks were “too big to fail” fearing the wider economic consequences of allowing their collapse. .

“in prAyer And nonviolence, All thingS becoMe poSSible becAuSe thAt’S where we iMAgine Another

wAy, And thAt iMAgining of Another wAy iS the culturAl trAnSforMAtion thAt’S hAppening [At StAnding rock]. while not the end of the Story,

while there’S Still Much work to be done, theSe Are gliMpSeS of new wAyS of being thAt Are the kind of

culturAl Shift thAt we need to MAke A SuStAinAble, renewAble future reAlly poSSible.”

rev. kAren vAn foSSAn

8 998

the good, the bAd & the ugly

nAtionwide

$0

co-op

$0

Banking doesn’t have to be dominated by enormous, unaccountable institutions whose business model relies on crashing the climate, exploiting workers and facilitating a string of human rights abuses. It should serve people and planet before profit, every time. We have to divest from Barclays and other banks perpetuating this financial system, and reinvest for a just and sustainable world. In the UK there are a range of options.

bArclAyS

$4.381 bn

hSbc$2.088 bn

tridoS

$0

foSSil fuel inveStMentS 2016

rbS $122 Mn

HSBC give Barclays a run for their money on being the world’s fossil fuel bank. They’ve backed ultra-deep water drilling, tar sands and fracking to the hilt. They are showing some signs of improvement, with reduced support for these industries last year and commitments on coal.

Despite their reputation as the UK’s premier oil and gas bank, RBS is less of a fossil fuel player than it used to be. They’ve bailed out of the coal mining game entirely, and are otherwise reducing their financing for extreme fossil fuels across the board.

The Co-operative Bank is well established as an ethical choice, providing all the same services you’d expect from a major high-street bank. It pioneered an Ethical Policy in 1992 which is enshrined in its constitution. It includes a commitment to not invest in fossil fuels, while investing in promoting human rights, and supporting social development.

Nationwide is the biggest building society on the planet. This means it’s run in the interests of it’s customers, who are also members. Its entire operation is based around current accounts, personal savings and mortgages, rather than lending to multinational fossil fuel companies.

Triodos’ mission is to finance organisations with a positive environmental or social impact. This immediately rules out fossil fuel investments. They’re transparent, publishing details of everyone they lend to, so you know exactly what your money is supporting.

Barclays might have its headquarters in London (and soon Dublin for tax reasons), but their investments span the globe. In the last three years alone they’ve channelled $12.5bn into the most destructive fossil fuel projects and companies in the world, earning them a top ten ranking amongst extreme fossil fuel financiers.

They were only beaten out of the top spot by Chinese mega-banks up to their necks in coal, US banks pumping cash into gas exports as the domestic fracking boom continues, and the Royal Bank of Canada’s unfaltering support for the Alberta tar sands. But in terms of absolute commitment to unearthing the most hard to reach reserves, Barclays are a global leader.

globAl leAder

find out MoreThere is some great research out there on the global financial industry funding of the fossil fuel industry. Take the time to do a bit of homework and check out:

•The Sky’s Limit (2016) - Oil Change International

•Banking on Climate Change (2017) - Banktrack

Worse still, they show no sign of improving. Of thirty seven international banks surveyed by Oil Change International, most have drastically reduced their climate crashing investments. Barclays is one of a dozen doing the opposite – going big on coal, gas and oil.

FINaNCINg (B=BILLIONS)RANK BANK 2014 2015 2016 TOTaL

1 BANK OF CHINA $7.770 B $7.847 B $6.480 B $22.097 B

2 CHINA CONstruCtION BANK $4.721 B $7.789 B $8.540 B $21.051 B

3 JP MOrGAN CHAsE $6.368 B $6.699 B $6.968 B $20.035 B

4 INDustrIAL AND COMMErCIAL BANK OF CHINA (ICBC) $3.914 B $8.535 B $7.377 B $19.826 B

5 rOYAL BANK OF CANADA (rBC) $6.080 B $8.597 B $3.550 B $18.228 B

6 AGrICuLturAL BANK OF CHINA $5.520 B $5.680 B $3.453 B $14.653 B

7 BANK OF AMErICA $4.079 B $4.137 B $5.160 B $13.376 B

8 HsBC $5.338 B $5.766 B $2.088 B $13.192 B

9 CItIGrOuP $4.614 B $3.932 B $4.596 B $13.142 B

10 BArCLAYs $4.346 B $3.801 B $4.381 B $12.528 B

11 DEutsCHE BANK $3.282 B $5.655 B $2.620 B $11.556 B

12 MOrGAN stANLEY $3.124 B $5.044 B $3.368 B $11.537 B

global banks by finance for fossil fuel projects through corporate lending and underwriting.

10 111110

Students have taken on Barclays before, and they won! In a campaign to end South African apartheid, that spanned three decades , students in the UK targeted Barclays demanding they withdraw from the apartheid regime. It took a while but they showed that grassroots action against a bank of any size can get the goods.

The campaign involved mass boycotts that took a huge chunk out of Barclays’ share of the student banking market. Importantly too it used a diversity of tactics to disrupt Barclays’ profit-making operations, as well as sabotaging their brand and reputation on campuses and beyond. They packed out stores opening and closing accounts as slow downs. They did occupations and sit-ins to disrupt Barclays’ day-to-day operations. They targeted recruitment drives and advertising at universities to create a culture of opposition to the bank and their complicity in apartheid. Eventually the demands were secured after a relentless campaign that was one huge part of a global movement to end apartheid spanning

continents.

This time though, we don’t have three decades to win the fight. We need to keep fossil fuels in the ground now and we can learn from the success of the anti-apartheid Barclays boycott to win our demands quicker. Our campaign will need to escalate quicker, be even more daring in our use of direct action, and more ambitious in our campaign to wreck their reputation.

“politicAl preSSureS on bArclAyS to withdrAw froM

South AfricA finAlly becAMe irreSiStible in the view of

the london boArd. bArclAyS london felt the StAge hAd

been reAched when the coSt of being in South AfricA in

terMS of the obStructionS And difficultieS thiS

generAted for bArclAyS’ operAtionS in other pArtS

of the world wAS no longer tenAble”

bASil herSov, A leAding South AfricAn induStriAliSt And the chAirMAn of bArclAyS nAtionAl bAnk

leSSonS froM Anti-ApArtheid

12 131312

frAcking in the ukIn May 2017, at the Barclays Annual General Meeting (AGM), the Chairman John McFarlane told shareholders that the bank would be withdrawing their financing of fracking company Third Energy - licensed to frack in Ryedale, North Yorkshire. Barclays owned 97% controlling stakes in Third Energy. This is a huge victory for the anti-fracking and climate justice movement in the UK, showing the power of organising and building coalitions in our local communities. The decision was due to years of tireless campaigning led by residents in Ryedale, supported by hundreds of creative direct actions taken by students across the country.

The first wave of actions took place as part of Go Green Week in February 2016. Sheffield students organised a sit-in and demonstration at the city’s flagship branch at the same time as four other actions across the country. From that point actions grew in scale and ambition in parallel with the growth of support for the campaign against Barclays’ fracking exploits. On campuses, students successfully campaigned for their Students’ Unions to boycott Barclays by voting to kick them off campus, including removing Barclays’ ATMs and banning their sponsorship.

Barclays’ commitment to drop Third Energy came when local Ryedale resident; Monica Gripaios attended their AGM for the 3rd year to ask Barclays to defund Third Energy. This combination of engaging with Barclays shareholders, creative direct action and institutional boycotts formed an effective diversity of tactics. To win our demands we need to scale up this strategy.

victorieS So fAr

coAl in AuStrAliAFrom 2014, a global campaign targeted all the major banks financing a proposed coal infrastructure at Abbott Point and in the Galilee Basin.

These projects aim to create some of the biggest coal mines on the planet and build a new coal port which threatened the Great Barrier Reef with pollution and decay. The campaign mobilised a powerful coalition of international NGOs and grassroots activists, to toxify the reputation of the mines and build international consensus that it should not be developed.

The pressure built up by the campaign successfully forced Barclays to commit to ditching the financing of the Adani mine and its associated infrastructure. This was a huge victory and Barclays’ commitment was a big part of the domino effect leading to other major banks dropping the project.

The victory shows that Barclays and other banks could be forced to stop financing all coal and gas projects in the Galilee Basin and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

bArclAyS’ new coAl policyAfter years of pressure from organisations like BankTrack, as well as, grassroots movements, Barclays has finally begun to offer some transparency over its coal policy and guidelines, as well as slow and quiet shift in the right direction.

In 2015, they quietly introduced policy withdrawing investment from the highly destructive method of mountain top removal of coal - having been the world’s biggest financier of it in 2013.

In 2016, they published a new coal policy. The content of the policy acknowledged the significant role of extracting and burning coal in exacerbating climate change by committing to ‘seek to reduce’ their financing of the coal sector globally over ‘the medium term’.

Any future decisions will be subjected to enhanced diligence and decisions from senior management. Barclays also stated that it has ‘no appetite’ for financing new coal fired power stations in developed economies.

13

“After coming to the Agm for three yeAr running, i

wAs so delighted to heAr the chAirmAn sAy the bAnk

Are plAnning to divest from this AreA. i hope they

will follow through on the promise And this is not

An empty commitment. i certAinly feel reAssured And hope thAt i don’t hAve

to go bAck next yeAr.”monicA gripAios, frAck free ryedAle

14 151514

Barclays is funding projects across the globe, so where can we start?

In Alberta vast amounts of dirty oil is stored in the tar sands. If Canada was to exploit all of these reserves then a third of the global carbon budget would be blown! Barclays’ financing the proposed pipelines to pump out Alberta’s tar sands. These are currently being pushed through by President Trump and Justin Trudeau across North America despite decisive rejection from local and indigenous communities. This is a fight we should join.

Our demand of all banks is to ditch all fossil fuel finance. By focusing on Barclays first we can set the wheels in motion for mass divestment from fossil fuels in the banking industry.

We demand that Barclays withdraw its finance from all new fossil fuel projects.

This is a huge ask of a giant industry and we won’t win overnight. That’s why it’s so important we set milestones along the way.

diveSt bArclAyS cAMpAign AiMSWe need to make Barclays put policy in place that excludes them investing in fossil fuel projects like Keystone XL via ‘project finance’ and providing ‘corporate finance’ to the fossil fuel majors like Shell and BHP Billiton, as well as, the companies (with less well know names) that build the infrastructure.

It’s unlikely that banks will ditch all fossil fuels over night, but we can start to win project by project, by adding our voices to some big upcoming global battles against the fossil fuel industry financed by Barclays.

Coal is among the dirtiest of fossil fuels and already facing exclusion from mainstream portfolios. It’s vital to keep the most carbon intensive fossil fuels in the ground as soon as possible. Getting Barclays to put policy in place that matches the science and winning total divestment from coal early on will be a huge point of inspiration.

As more and more projects are ditched by Barclays and other banks, it will be increasingly likely that the dominoes will fall and pressure to ditch new and existing oil and gas projects will lead to a string of victories.

3 MyAnMAr Shwe gAS And pipelineS

This project entails the extraction of underwater gas and the transport of oil and gas to Africa, the Middle East and China. The Shwe Gas Movement is demanding protection of community rights, compliance with investment standards and transparency and accountability. Failing these, the project should be suspended and finance and investment withdrawn.

4 ruSSiA SAkhAlin ii oil And gAS

Said to be the largest integrated oil and gas project in the world, its products are transported by onshore pipelines to be liquefied and then by tankers.

1 South AfricA kuSSile coAl power plAnt

Located in Mpumalanga, South Africa, this coal plant will be one of the largest in the world using outdated and carbon intensive technology. The project isn’t due to be complete until 2021. There is still time for local campaigners to stop it.

2 cAnAdA tAr SAndSTar sands are among the dirtiest of fossil fuels and required destroying an area larger than Florida to access them as well as significant carbon emissions during extraction. The projects have been met with powerful local resistance led by indigenous First Nation communities whose sovereignty and land rights are violated by the extraction.

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frontline SolidArity

Strong policy on coAlOne of the first milestones in Barclays journey to ditching all fossil fuels is adopting a robust policy excluding coal from its project and corporate financing. Their 2016 policy is to ‘reduce’ financing of the coal sector over the ‘medium term’ and that it has ‘no appetite’ for financing coal projects in developed economies. Knowing that fossil fuels need to stay in the ground and we cannot accept new fossil fuel infrastructure – especially coal – means this is not good enough. We are demanding that Barclays immediately adopt policy to exclude all new coal projects globally.

Barclays current policy is way behind it’s competitors on the UK high street. In 2016, HSBC published a new policy on coal which recognised in strong terms the major role of coal in global warming and the need for a just transition to a low-carbon economy. They acknowledge that new coal infrastructure would lock us into unnecessary extraction and emissions of the dirtiest fossil fuels. HSBC took decisive action prohibiting financing new coal projects and corporate finance for companies dependent on coal mining.

Barclays are lagging behind the curve on coal, so we’re demanding they catch up.

Whenever we campaign for banks to ditch fossil fuel projects we should remember there are communities leading the resistance against those projects on its frontlines. That means residents in communities threatened with fracking; indigenous peoples whose land and water is being threatened with a pipeline and oil fields; farmers and rural communities being displaced to make way for a new coal mine; and people who live most intimately with their environments whose livelihoods and lifestyles are being disrupted first by dramatic changes to the climate.

On the frontlines of fossil fuel extractions, the fight of these communities is often a matter of life and death. We take our inspiration from them and they direct the tone

and messaging of our campaigns, as well as the types of action we take.

“we, indigenouS peopleS, Are the red line. we hAve drAwn

thAt line with our bodieS AgAinSt the

privAtiSAtion of nAture, to dirty foSSil

fuelS And to cliMAte chAnge. we will

protect our SAcred lAndS”

toM goldtooth, executive director of indigenouS

environMentAl network

18 191918

The sites of struggle are too many to count, but certainly one of the most inspiring examples of the last few years has been the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline - #NoDAPL. And you guessed it, Barclays are involved. They financed the parent company of Energy Transfer Partners, the architect of the project, to the tune of $67mn.

The DAPL was built to deliver “tight oil” from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota to an oil depot in Illinois. It runs straight under the Missouri River, the only source of drinking water for the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Lakota tribes. Considering water sacred and recognising its centrality to life and the health of their communities, they knew that even one spill could spell disaster, and stood resolute against the pipeline.

A resistance camp established at Standing Rock in the summer of 2016 grew to thousands of people by September, becoming the largest congregation of indigenous Americans in the last hundred years. They were joined by streams of environmental activists and allies, including thousands of army veterans. Standing Rock became a symbol of what is possible when we struggle together.

Recognising that no movement succeeds without embracing a diversity of tactics, activists began to organise around the

divestment demand: #DefundDAPL. And they are winning. In a few short months, more than $4bn has been withdrawn from banks financing DAPL.

Meanwhile, beneath the ground in Alberta, Canada sits an estimated 2 trillion barrels of oil. This is no conventional reserve – these are tar sands, the absolute definition of a carbon bomb. Limiting warming to 2°C depends on shutting down this entire operation. And we know where to strike, because its survival depends on the construction of several new pipelines, each bigger than the last: Keystone XL, Trans Mountain, Line 3, and Energy East.

A coalition of 121 First Nations and Tribes of the Treaty Alliance Against Tar Sands launched Mazaska Talks (Money Talks) as a co-ordinated campaign to divest the banks propping up the pipelines. Fossil fuel finance was coming under attack from every direction.

We need to target Barclays over their investments. In December 2016 they co-financed a $5bn revolving credit facility for Trans Canada, the company behind Keystone XL and Energy East. And as recently as May 2017, the joined a $5.5bn credit line for Kinder Morgan, almost all of which is dedicated specifically to the Trans Mountain pipeline, making this effectively a project related corporate loan.

A third of the coal we burn in the UK, we import from Colombia, one of the places most notorious for human rights abuses in the name of coal extraction. Key players include Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Glencore, who jointly manage the 70,000 hectare Cerrejón mine in La Guajira. Barclays’ total backing of these companies and their abuses amounted to $3.5bn in 2013, with other UK banks not far behind.

The mine has grown steadily since 1976. In that time it has displaced and destroyed whole communities of indigenous and Afro-Colombian people, in particular the Wayúu. Even meagre compensation for the expropriation of their land and homes has proved almost impossible to extract from either the companies or the Colombian government.

Workers at the mine fare no better. Their union, Sintracarbon, say 700 workers at Cerrejón suffer from serious health problems as a direct result of the poor working conditions at the mine. Industrial strike action has been met with dismissals and even the murder of union leaders.

Barclays have also financed Drummond, a company which collaborated with and paid paramilitaries to protect their mining operation in Cesar, Colombia, through campaigns of violence against local communities.

Not only are they necessarily complicit in these human rights abuses, Barclays have also helped to prop up the dirtiest fossil fuel when it needs phasing out as quickly as possible. There’s only one thing for it: they must commit to cut all financing for coal mining and power companies. And it’s up to us to make that happen.

frontlineS: north AMericA frontlineS: coloMbiA

20 212120

Australia has seen a boom in coal and Coal Seam Gas (CSG) extraction in recent years, with Barclays providing corporate loans to the tune of at least £632 million. Local campaigns have resisted projects around the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area because of their devastating impacts on environment as well as decades of increased carbon emissions.

Barclays have caved to pressure by ditching the Adani coal mine, but must now pledge to not finance further projects in the region, including coal mines, export infrastructure like terminals or gas pipelines, or the conversion of coal seam gas for export.

The Northern Territory (NT), an area 6 times the size of the UK - where 30% of the population are the traditional custodians of the land - is under threat from fracking applications covering

80% of the ground. Half the population use borehole water at home; now at risk from the impacts of fracking. Traditional landowners in the NT walked out of talks with companies pushing the construction of a Gas Pipeline set to transport CSG through their country and Borroloola Elders led a march for the Global Frackdown international day of action.

Actions mobilised the support of millions of Australians to reject the construction of projects threatening ecologically important heritage sites and sacred land. They have also taken the fight to the AGMs of banks financing the projects, demanding that they stop financing the very worst. Now local groups are demanding that Australian banks ditch all investments expanding the fossil fuel industry and reduce exposure to the coal sector to zero by 2020. Barclays must do the same.

frontlineS: AuStrAliA

building A cAMpAign: boycott bArclAyS

on your cAMpuS

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tArgetSOne of the key ways we can pressure Barclays is by building a movement to kick them off campuses nationwide by letting hundreds of thousands of students know they are banking on wrecking the climate.

There are a few #DivestBarclays targets to choose from on your campus. An important first step of your campaign should be to decide which target to start with (you might choose a couple and use different tactics for each target).

creAte A cAMpAign tiMeline One of the most important things for a successful campaign is keeping up momentum and not trying to do everything at once. Sit down with a calendar and figure out how you can keep up excitement over the coming months. Consider how to build up the pressure over time around key events across the year.

Remember, good campaigns are like good stories; the more interesting your narrative, the more likely people will want to follow along and take part. Plan out your story in parallel with the key events of your timeline.

who doeS your uni bAnk with?People & Planet’s Fossil Free score card now has information on who your university banks with. Even if they don’t bank with Barclays now they can commit to not banking with them until they stop investing in fossil fuels.

check out your uni: peopleandplanet.org/ fossil-free-scorecards

Step 1 plAn the cAMpAign

your StudentS’ unionThe SU may have numerous links to Barclays. They could do their own banking with them, have a branch or cash machine in the building, allow them to recruit students at SU events, receive sponsorship or advertising money. Even if your SU has none of these relationships with Barclays, you can demand they introduce policy saying they never will.

the univerSityThe University may also do their banking with Barclays and they may be invited to their recruitment and careers fairs. You can demand those ties are cut (this could be in the form of a commitment to close their account in a year), or that policy is introduced to ensure they are never made.

cAMpuS brAnchLots of universities have a bank branch on campus, and lots of those banks are Barclays. Branches are key targets for creative action and for you to demand they are kicked off campus. This would be a huge victory for the national movement.

individuAlSMany staff and students in the university community may personally bank with Barclays. As part of your campaign for institutional boycotts, you should tie in efforts to ask people on campus to move their money to a different bank. Our new Divest Barclays petition tool has a joint pledge that means anyone who signs your petition is also making a personal commitment to boycott Barclays.

identify deciSion MAkerSWho in your institution is in a position to decide whether or not to concede to your demands?

In universities, the Vice-Chancellor often has executive authority and can essentially push through decisions if you convince them. They may not always be forthcoming though, so think about other members of senior management who lead the university. What decision making committees or groups could you target too?

Students’ unions are student-led and managed by elected student officers. In this case, if you can build popular support for your demands and display that through a petition or vote as per your SU’s democratic process, your demands should be met.

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After choosing your targets, creating a time-line and settling on clear demands, it’s time to lay the foundations for a powerful movement on campus.

Start by educating your campaign group and using that as an opportunity to bring more people in. You could host a relevant film screening and discussion, ask for a workshop from People & Planet (just get in touch!), or run your own interactive session to skill up.

Remember to tie this education with action points for all participants to get involved in – this is a good way of testing early on who’s committed to doing work on the campaign so you can give them responsibility and leadership roles later on.

You might want to continue work educating yourselves and the campus community beyond this first session, but this should be alongside beginning

to take action. Think of creative ways to begin speaking to staff and students on campus with an associated action point. For example, speak to people in your SU and ask them to sign a petition. There are lots of ways to make this fun if you use your imagination, and a large petition can be an important display of power and support as the campaign heats up.

As you do this outreach, make contact with specific groups on campus and in the community who might support the campaign. Ask them to publicly promote your petition, meetings and events. They may also be sources of valuable knowledge about how the SU and University decision-making structures work if they’ve run campaigns before.

Its really useful to map your allies on campus so you know who can support you, how and when. Map them onto a graph like this:

As you do this ground work, campaign coordinators should be mentoring new campaign members to take leadership roles later on. Give people small tasks to do. If they do them on time and well then you can increase the levels of responsibility you give them, and build it up so they develop confidence and you know you can trust them with big coordinating jobs later on. The best organisers aren’t always the loudest or most confident initially, but are the ones who lead the way by putting in the work and building healthy relationships with other members of the group. Look out for and mentor these campaigners as much as confident and experienced members.

Remember not everyone wants to come to planning meetings! Make sure you have plenty of socials and creative actions to build your group.

Step 2 build thAt MoveMent

get SociAlSocial media is a great way to spread your campaign messages across campus. If you don’t have one already set up your own Facebook page and Twitter account, or direct students to People & Planet’s central ones so they can keep up to date with the latest information. Remember to share national campaign updates to your pages and groups regularly.

Setup A diveSt bArclAyS petitionCreate your own Divest Barclays petition with our new petition tool. You’ll have full control over the wording and design. You can share it easily on social media and build your contacts list by emailing the people who’ve signed to keep them updated about your campaign and events.

When you setup the petition it’s worth having a duel target by getting people who sign to commit to not banking with Barclays, as well as asking you uni or SU to boycott them. The template petition will come with some suggested text to help you do this.

StArt A petition At: peopleandplanet.org/barclays

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Passing a motion or policy to boycott Barclays through your Students’ Union can be the source of an easy win to kick-start the campaign and show the Uni you mean business. You SU should also then support your campaign by speaking to senior a management and offering communications support. All SUs work differently with some making decisions through an elected Council, some have general meetings, some require lobbying your elected officers. You can

find details of your SUs processes for passing a motion on their website.

Normally, your motion or policy proposal should offer some factual context under a ‘Notes’ section. Then, under ‘Believes’, the motion should present why its being put forward. This is usually more subjective and is a statement of the politics behind the motion. Finally, under ‘Resolves’, the motion should clearly set out the details of the proposed policy changes.

Step 3 Su Motion

exAMple diveSt bArclAyS Su MotionThe SU notes that:

• Barclays finance fossil fuel projects around the world including oil pipelines in the US, Tar Sands in Canada and coal mines in Australia Indonesia and Colombia.

• There is a national movement led by People & Planet demanding that Barclays divest from all fossil fuel projects

The SU believes that:

• To avert catastrophic climate change, fossil fuels need to stay in the ground and no new fossil fuel projects can be financed.

• Barclays is complicit in the harms of climate change by financing such projects.

The SU revolves to:

• Support People & Planet’s Divest Barclays campaign

• Have no dealings with Barclays regarding banking, advertising, sponsorship and recruitment

• Remove Barclays’ ATM in the SU building

• Lobby the University to cut all ties with Barclays

You can draw inspiration from campaigners at Sheffield People & Planet who used their SU’s constitution to successfully propose that Barclays be added to the list of organisations that their Students’ Union refuse to have dealings with under their Advertising and Sponsorship Policy. Working with their SU Development Officer, they gathered

enough petition signatures for Barclays to be a proscribed organisation under a constitutional bye-law.

The petition was taken to SU Council where the SU President was required to offer factual context about the SU’s dealings with Barclays, before a vote was taken in favour of the proposal.

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Whether targeting your university or SU, a great way to build your group and increase the pressure is through creative actions.

There are loads of different thing you can do like:

• Banner drops

• Street theatre

• Brandalism

• Flash mobs

• Photo stunts

• Fancy dress

• Building giant props like oil rigs

Step 4 get creAtive

chAnging bAnkSIf your student union banks with Barclays it may be harder to get your motion passed. It’s unlikely that the elected student officers will have a problem with the campaign once you’ve had a chance to speak to them, but staff members may not want the hassle of changing who the union banks with. Here are a couple of the reasons they might come up with and our responses:

‘We need a bank with a branch on campus so we can take our cash in easily.’

Lots of students’ unions and most businesses don’t deliver their cash to banks in person any more. They hire a cash delivery service. This is as much to do with the safety of their staff as how close their bank is. There is an additional cost associated with this, but it’s a much more secure way of delivering money.

‘Other banks will cost more to provide the services we need.’

Lot’s of banks will want your student unions business and many are already providing banking services to lots of other student unions across the UK. The coop bank already manages loads of accounts for charities and unions.

We’re happy to chat though any problems your SU might have and support you to find solutions. At the end of the day they should be listening to their students and you should always be able to overcome challenges from staff.

uni ideASIf you’ve got a central space on campus this is a great place to do your creative actions. You could organise a tug of war with Barclays bankers vs anyone who thinks they should stop investing in fossil fuels. Make a massive banner calling on you uni to stand up to Trumps plans to build Keystone XL by boycotting Barclays. Deliver a sack of coal to your university senior management dressed as a Barclays Santa. If they don’t listen you could become more disruptive by organising a mass die in on a uni open day!

link to the frontlineSFocus your creative actions on some of the projects Barclays are funding and stand in solidarity with communities resisting on the frontlines. Part of this could be creating your own pipelines or coal mines on campus. You could put quotes from first nation communities resisting Keystone XL on your banners or read them out.

Su ideASThink about mass lobbies outside of SU Council or SU Officer meetings dressed as bankers selling the chance for you SU to be part of Barclays efforts to crash the climate.

As well as petitioning, ask supporters to take action by contacting their elected SU Councillors and Officers. If they still don’t respond the right way, step it up with a communications blockade bombarding decision makers with calls and emails politely making your demand crystal clear so they have no choice but to listen to you and take your demands seriously.

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Lobbying should be done alongside continuing doing creative actions or escalating your campaign.

Turning your attention to the University, it’s worth practising your lobbying skills to ask for them to boycott Barclays as this may prove to be an easy win if you can get some members of senior management on side.

Once your petition for the University to boycott Barclays has reached a critical number - this will depend on the size of your institution, but could be anywhere between 200, 500, or over 1000 - you should hand the petition signatures in with a letter expressing the details and reasoning for your demand. Accompany the hand-in with a big public action to celebrate your achievement and let everyone know management are being asked to make this big decision so they

can be held accountable by the wider community too.

After the hand-in, try and get a meeting with a member of management or an invite to the relevant committee to discuss the campaign demands further. Come prepared with detailed reasoning for the demand; rehearsed rebuttals for all the possible replies management might respond with; and ideas for alternatives for the University like more ethical banking options or sources of sponsorship. Be polite and give them space to express their concerns, but be firm in your demands and don’t let them steam roll the meeting without giving you space to reply. Pin them down to commit to specific action points and a time line for moving forward.

Let them know that you are committed to working through ‘official’ processes to

win this demand, but that you have plans to continue doing public facing actions while they make up there mind. While you’re in the room make sure you arrange a date for the next meeting to discus the campaign.

Step 5 lobbying

top tipS for lobbying

1 Who will be your lobby target? Who has the power to help you achieve your aims. Also consider who you might have access to that has power over those with power!

2 What can your target actually do? Learn what your lobby target has the power to do and not do.

4 Prepare your key ask. Lobbying won’t work if you’re simply having a rant. You’ll need a key message and key ask – i.e. what is it exactly you want your lobby target to do?

3 What’s their stance on the issue? What might be the barriers? Do some research to prepare for their response.

5 Communicate and cumulate. Plan a series of communications, expecting a no at each stage. An open letter, a petition, ask for a meeting.. don’t take no for an answer, bring more folk on board and increase the lobby pressure.

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dAMAge bArclAyS’

reputAtion off cAMpuS

Your University might well resist calls to join the boycott of Barclays, especially if there is branch on campus or they’re particularly conservative. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t win the campaign.

From the beginning of the campaign, incorporate the possibility of escalation into your strategy by making contingency plans planning for every possible response by decision makers. The principle of escalation is that you can give decision makers numerous chances to concede to your demands in response to increasingly disruptive tactics which make it more and more difficult for them to reject you.

Every time you expect a decision from management, plan for every eventuality. They might meet all of your demands, none of them, or any number in between. Each possibility may require a different response in message and level of disruption.

Step 6 eScAlAtion

A tiMe-line of eScAlAtion Might look SoMething like thiS:Rejection 1: Begin to publicly condemn the University and Barclays’ complicity in catastrophic climate change through a series of big visual creative actions on campus.

Rejection 2: Disrupt landmark events in the University calendar like open days, careers fairs and public lectures to soil their good reputation. Subvert the University and Barclays’ promotional and outreach materials to distribute ‘alternative’ promotional materials to inform attendees of their climate crimes and your demands.

Rejection 3: Use non-violent direct action to blockade or occupy a major event, building or the campus Barclays branch until they meet your demands.

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rolling diSruption AgAinSt bArclAySWe want to show Barclays that we aren’t going away and take action against them every week. To do this we want to create a relentless campaign of disruption they will have no choice but to respond to. In the past, we have coordinated large individual days of action against targets like Barclays. However, this time round, we are planning to coordinate at least one disruptive action against Barclays somewhere in the country every week for a whole academic year. This will continually pressure them into conceding specific demands to ditch new fossil fuel projects along the way to divesting from all fossil fuel finance.

Disruption to the Barclays brand can take many forms and we want groups to be as

creative as possible in designing ways to leave a big impression. You could aim to stop a branch’s core money making operations for a day (or longer!), subvert their branding to a mass audience, lose them lots of business, disrupt core events for building their brand. In the ‘Action Planning’ section of this guide you can get inspiration for the many tactics that can be used to disrupt Barclays at a range of local targets.

If you and your campaign group want to take part in the Rolling Disruption Against Barclays by organising an action in your area, please get in touch with us at fossilfree@peopleandplanet.org so we can arrange a date and integrate it into the national strategy.

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brAndAliSMLike any corporation, Barclays invests big money in advertising to boost its reputation. As campaigners, a huge tool in our locker is disrupting and subverting those adverts. If we can associate the Barclays brand with destructive fossil fuel projects rather than happy banking, then they may think about ditching the fossil fuel projects.

check out brAndAliSMS toolkit:brandalism.ch/take-action/

tArgetSA key part of how grassroots movements influence huge banks like Barclays is by damaging their reputation. Having a vibrant brand with the appearance of social responsibility is a core part of Barclays’ corporate strategy. Threatening to damage that positive reputation will make them sit up and listen to our demands.

You could target one or more locations in your area which feed into a concerted national campaign. Most cities and lots of campuses have Barclays branches for your local campaign to regularly target. Barclays’ head offices in London and Dublin are prime targets for campaigns in capital cities as well as sites for national mobilisations.

Barclays sponsors many projects, events and competitions which can also be the target of your campaign. If you can successfully get a recipient of Barclays sponsorship to drop them, that does huge damage to their brand. One prominent target could be the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham.

There may also be smaller venues or events in your area to target like a Pride march.

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building MoveMentS off cAMpuSWhen we’re targeting a huge corporation like Barclays and fossil fuel companies which don’t just reside at our universities, we need to build powerful coalitions and movements off campus too. Approach existing groups concerned with climate change and corporate power in your area to bring together around your demands. Together we’re more powerful. Think beyond your campus in your organising, education and action planning. Occasionally host your meetings and events in community hubs off campus making them accessible to non-students. Go to other groups’ meetings, events and actions to demonstrate your support for them and build trust. You can foster strong relationships by organising shared social and political events where you get to know each other, share ideas and help each other out.

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locAl And Student MediAAs student campaigners you may or may not consume much local media, but people in your wider community certainly will. Whether its the local press, TV or radio, they often have high ratings and can have a significant influence on local opinion. You will likely have a better impression of how influential student media is and how to effectively use it to further your campaign of damaging Barclays’ reputation and winning you demands.

Sometimes local and student journalists will genuinely care about your campaign and endeavour to promote it. Normally, though, their main concerns are ratings and deadlines. As a campaigner, its your job to make journalists’ jobs as easy as possibly so they’re most likely to run (sympathetic) stories. Research journalists at different publications in your area who have run similar stories recently and get in contact with them before an action to feed them advance details or let them know when and

where to turn up. Its also important to send press releases whenever you do an action and other strategic moments in the campaign. These should give journalists everything they’d need to write an article: the who, what, where, when and why of a story, including photos and further reading if possible.

locAl groupS you Might wAnt to contAct• Greenpeace

• Friends of the Earth

• Global Justice Now

• Local Frack Free group

• Green Party

• Momentum

• 38 degrees

• Oxfam

• Black Lives Matter UK

• Plan C

• Reclaim the Power

• Rising Up!

“working with other environmentAl community groups hAs been rewArding for our network. the relAtionship

hAs proved to be collAborAtive, where we cAn Ask eAch other for support At Actions, As well As shAring

leArnings And Advice which hAs built our collective experience.”

Juliet de little, sheffield people & plAnet

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You may want to use local and student media to run comment or opinion articles about Barclays’ fossil fuel projects more generally to create popular awareness of the reasons for the campaign. You can also use them to specifically refer to your campaign, what you’ve been up to, and why people should get involved.

Building relationships with news reporters is also an important way to have your campaign covered as news (giving it a sense of importance beyond the uni bubble). News coverage in local and student press is a good way to keep the wider community up to date with the progress of your campaign including actions and demands taking advantage of another organisation’s networks and reach.

Local radio is a powerful way to compellingly articulate your message to a targeted audience and issue calls to action to listeners who will generally be close enough to come and join you or get involved more.

All of these uses of local and student media are essential to a successful Rolling Disruption Against Barclays and a campaign of reputational damage as they communicate your message and demands to a mass audience.

preSS releASeS lAyout And content• First, make sure you give your

contact details;

• Next, make sure it says ‘News Release’ at the top;

• Date it and make it clear when the story is for;

• Mark it ‘Photo Opportunity’ and/or ‘Crews Welcome’ as applicable;

• Give it a snappy title;

• Use the first paragraph to outline the whole story in brief;

• Expand in the second paragraph;

• Stick in a quote from a group spokesperson;

• A third paragraph can add more detail and/or conclude;

• Mark the release ‘ENDS’;

• Repeat the contact details;

• Finally, add ‘Notes for the editor’ e.g. Divest Barclays is a national campaign led by the People & Planet network, find out more at www.peopleandplanet.org

tiMely effective SolidArityThe Divest Barclays campaign has solidarity at its core. Its about using the power and privilege we have to support the struggles and resistances led by communities on the frontlines of fossil fuel extraction by targeting a powerful investor (Barclays). Beyond this fundamental principle, we can centre solidarity into the ways we organise and take action.

Deciding with whom and when we take solidarity action is an important to ensuring it is meaningful and strategic. Solidarity will also look different depending on the time. For example, timely solidarity with indigenous-led resistances to new oil pipelines in North America in the lead up to construction might demand that financiers (like Barclays) divest from the pipeline. As construction gets under way, that solidarity campaign might mean escalating tactics paired with practical support like going to protection camps or raising money to send needed resources from afar.

Effective solidarity is determined by those we’re supporting. Often, we will

be asked to work in new ways or adopt new aims. We may feel like we are being asked things that challenge our own campaigning values. But solidarity is about appreciating that the frontlines of a struggle know best for their resistance.

For example, our campaign messaging should align with the narratives of those leading the resistance. If a struggle asks international solidarity to be non-violent, that principle should be embraced. Similarly, if we are asked to put our bodies on the line to stop the construction of a new project, we should think about how to skill-up and adapt to that ask even if you wouldn’t use that tactic in your own struggles.

Building healthy relationships based on solidarity is a difficult task but all of this is made easier with dialogue and listening. If possible, directly ask front-line communities what international solidarity with their resistance should look like. They may have been asked this before with the answer publicly available, so do your own research to see what other solidarity campaigns are doing.

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overAll StrAtegy:• Is this a one-off action or part of an ongoing

campaign?

• What is the campaign objective that this action is working towards?

• What are your other strategic aims as a group?

key MeSSAge(S):• What is/are the key message/s you want to

communicate?

• Who is your audience and what impression do you want them to have?

• Is there a slogan you want to link your action to?

tActicS:• What resources do you have?

• What tactics could you do that fit your aim and will communicate your message in the way that you want?

Action pointS:• What needs doing and by when to make the

action happen?

• How can you share out responsibility to include as many people as possible?

Action plAnning

In this section we will discus how we can make our actions against Barclays as successful as possible. Here’s a summary of some the things you should be thinking about when choosing an action:

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Everything we do for the Divest Barclays campaign should take us closer to achieving our goal: for Barclays to ditch all fossil fuel finance. Being playful and imaginative with the action we take keeps our campaigning fun and energising. This helps build our movement by getting more people involved and making us far more likely to win. It also keeps Barclays and our other targets guessing so we’re on the front foot. Putting public pressure on Barclays and their associates (by highlighting

their complicities in the climate crisis and role in driving irresponsible fossil fuel extraction) undermines their brand and damages their reputation. Creative actions can disrupt their day-to-day operations and ability to make the money they need to be profitable. We can also take action to popularise a just transition to alternative energy systems to inspire people and policy makers to embrace our positive vision of prosperous clean energy future.

why tAke creAtive Action AgAinSt bArclAyS?“ he who pASSively

AcceptS evil iS AS Much involved in it AS he who helpS to perpetrAte it. he who AcceptS evil without proteSting AgAinSt it iS reAlly cooperAting with it” MArtin luther king jr.

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Start planning your action by deciding on who you’re going to target and how it fits into the campaign strategy. Will it be a local or national Barclays target, or an organisation that accepts sponsorship from them? Make a decision based on who you’ll be best placed to influence in your locality and how much they can influence key decision makers at Barclays.

If you’re targeting Barclays themselves, will your action be at a local branch or somewhere else they have a public presence? If you’re targeting another organisation like your university that banks with Barclays, a cultural event they promote or an organisation they sponsor you will have to decide what location for your action will have the biggest impact. Choose somewhere of significance for the target that will attract lots of attention and play well in the media.

The demands you make need to be clear and prominent in your banners, props and chants. This way the public, media and Barclays themselves know why you’re taking action and how to respond. You might demand the end of a specific project like a pipeline or coal mine or generally to ‘stop financing fossil fuel projects’. If it’s an associated organisation you could demand they drop Barclays as a sponsor.

Focusing on specific fossil fuel projects or possible clean energy alternatives make demands appear more tangible, and your action’s tone should match. You might be happy or hopeful and focus on an alternative energy project or system that will fill the void left by Barclays when they do divest. You could be angry and highlight Barclays’ complicity in a specific project they’re financing while celebrating the resistances led by communities on its frontline.

who And where to tArget? whAt’S your MeSSAge?

frAcking SofA piccAdillyIn October 2016, as part of a coordinated day of action, campaigners chose a prominent Barclays branch in Piccadilly Circus in London to protest Barclays’ financing of fracking company Third Energy.

As well as being in a busy area, they performed a sit-in using a sofa with members of the North Yorkshire community threatened by fracking drinking cups of tea. This attracted lots of attention from the public who shared the action widely on social media.

MAncheSter pipelineIn July 2017, People & Planet students from across the country collaborated to organise and executed an action in Manchester to protest Barclays financing two new oil pipelines in North America.

They built a huge cardboard pipeline to easily show what we were objecting too, with clear banners communicating their message and demand.

This protest only lasted a couple of hours but engaged many members and led to collecting 160+ signatures for their Divest Barclays petition.

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“bAnkS, like bArclAyS, thAt finAnce MultinAtionAlS like bhp billiton Are reSponSible

for environMentAl diSASterS. they finAnce the deStruction of the environMent, the

diSpoSSeSSion of coMMunitieS And their culturAl exterMinAtion… we ASk thAt thoSe

who finAnce bhp billiton Are held AccountAble becAuSe their Money coMeS At the coSt of the

Suffering And teArS of ethnic coMMunitieS in lA guAjirA”

SAMuel, whoSe villAge of tAbAco wAS diSplAced by the cerrejón Mine.

how Are you Showing SolidArity? coAlition buildingWe translate our solidarity into creative action by deferring to frontline communities’ chosen targets, demands and narratives. We can amplify their voices as part of your action by reading speeches or stories of resistance from members of affected communities.

piccAdilly circuS SolidArityPeople & Planet, The Wretched of the Earth, Move Your Money, Fossil Free UCL and London Mining Network shut down Barclays flagship bank branch in Piccadilly Circus, in solidarity with those fighting the frontline impacts of the bank’s fossil fuel investments. Barclays’ financing of projects that disproportionately affect Global South communities continues a neo-colonial narrative that must be actively challenged by the environmental movement.

“frAcking iS A bAd inveStMent

environMentAlly, SociAlly And finAnciAlly,

with the MAjority of politicAl pArtieS in englAnd Are now

oppoSed to frAcking, i think potentiAl

inveStorS Should tAke heed. where iS the long

terM future of thiS induStry?”

Steve MASon of frAck free ryedAle

Sheffield die-in with nAtAlie bennett And coMMunity groupSIn October 2016, students from Sheffield, Durham and Manchester performed a die-in at Sheffield’s largest Barclays branch. They invited local campaigns: Sheffield Climate Alliance, Greenpeace and regional Frack Free groups. Local Green parties also attended including a councillor from Huddersfield and ex-leader Natalie Bennett. Both spoke in solidarity with communities at risk of fracking in North Yorkshire.

Creative actions can be opportunities to build your movement and show Barclays your power. Do this by mobilising other groups around a significant moment or major target in your campaign.

As part of wider coalition building, encourage groups either to contribute to organising your actions or just come along. Consider how accessible they are for partners who may be used to different styles of action and organising.

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deSigning your Action MediA outreAchThere are lots of examples of creative actions outside Barclays’ branches and other targets to draw inspiration from to help bring lots of people together around your demands of Barclays. Going inside the bank is an option too! These need to be planned more covertly so might involve less participants. But a sit-in or an occupation can be more disruptive to the branch’s business.

Using art and theatre is a fun and engaging way to get your message and demands attention while staying disruptive. This can be used at a Barclays branch or to confront cultural events or organisations sponsored by them at key moments in their calendar.

riSing up grAffiti StroudDirect Action group Rising Up sent strong messages to Barclays covering branches in graffiti demanding they divest.

Sheffield bArclAyS occupAtionIn February 2016, Sheffield P&P was among the groups that kick-started the wave of action against Barclays with a sit-in and protest outside the city’s largest branch. Their action had a strong media strategy which led to lots of local coverage. They were featured on local ITV news, BBC and local radio, and in local press.

bp or not bp? At the britiSh MuSeuMIn May 2016, art activists ‘BP or not BP?’ targeted the British Museum’s BP-sponsored exhibition ‘Sunken Cities – Egypt’s Lost Worlds with a flash mob of over 200 people. Using music, costumes, acting and giant puppets they highlighted the latest example of BP green washing culture.

Effectively communicating with local (and sometimes national) media is vital to getting your message out there and building the movement. Do all of this when preparing for an action:

• Write a one-page Press Release to let the media know what, where and why you’re taking action, including quotes from your members at the action and photos. Send during or immediately after the action.

• Choose media spokespeople (for video, radio and newspaper interviews) and rehearse the key message you want to get across. Put their mobile numbers on the press release.

• Bring your own photographer with a good camera.

• Plan how your action comes across to media who know little about the issue. Are demands and messaging clear?

• Get the message out yourself through social media. Live tweet photos and updates and tag prominent campaigners and journalists who may retweet you or follow up the story.

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Planning a creative action requires lots of logistical detail as well as letting your creative and political juices flow. Take some of these tips:

logiSticS check-liSt & plAnning SuMMAry

Roles for people before the day

• research the target (see below) • promote the action • make banners/placards • write and print flyers. • devise creative chants! • write a press release, if media

awareness is a key aim of your action

• write a brief for the action, to give out on the day to help people flyering/speaking on a megaphone.

Things to scout about the target

• cameras and security guards • general layout e.g. number and type

of doors/fire exits, open spaces • opening and closing times • is there much traffic from

passers-by (for the time/day of your action)

• how to get there? • is there a good meeting point

nearby?

Equipment for the day

• leaflets, placards, banners • megaphone • letter for target clearly explaining

why we’re there & what they need to do

• press release • props

Roles for people on the day

• leafletting, hold banners • lead chants / speak on the

megaphone • police and security liaisons • pre-action briefing• photographer/videographer • social media/on-ground media

person • off-site press (send release, be

a contact) • people to lock themselves to

things + people to support those locked to things

• legal observers (bring bust cards) / legal briefing giver / off-site legal support

• street medic

What to check in a pre-action briefing

• remind everyone what the plan/aim is.

• go through the three key messages. Practice explaining them to each other.

• what chants are we going to use, if any?

• who’s doing what role? • at what point will the action end?

(when an aim is achieved, at a specific time, etc.)

What to do after the action

• debrief with participants at end of the action / afterwards

• generate press and media coverage • post an update on social media • follow up with target

• Scope out the site beforehand to plan accordingly, including opening times of the target if relevant

• Promote the action – let relevant groups know that its going to happen and build for a big turnout (if that’s part of the plan).

• Brief participants on the plan for the day including core messaging and demands

• Gather materials

• Make banners and props (and make sure they get to the location on time!)

• Prepare a list of chants and songs, and print lyrics to hand round on the day

• Know Your Rights – give a legal briefing to let participants know they’re legal rights, how to respond to the police, and what to do in case of arrest, People & Planet can run workshop before your actions to support you. Distribute bust cards to everyone on the action which can be downloaded at greenandblackcross.org.

• Debrief – remember to reflect on how the action went giving everyone space to be heard. Think about how enjoyable it was, how it furthered the campaign’s strategy towards your goal, and how you can escalate next time.

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thAnk youThank you for taking the time to read this Divest Barclays Action Gude. We hope this guide will be useful in planning, running and winning your campaigns on and off campus.

Remember you can always contact People & Planet for support in planning all the different aspects of your campaign as well as letting us know what you’re doing so we can publicise everything you’re doing to the wider movement.

fossilfree@peopleandplanet.org01865 403225peoplandplanet.org

facebook.com/peopleandplanet

@peopleandplanet