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Greenpeace Barclays protest: activists scale Canary Wharf headquarters and hang huge 'oil droplets'

Protesters from Greenpeace have scaled Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf in a protest over the bank’s oil investments.

A group of campaigners from the environmental group wore hard hats and climbed the main entrance to the building on Thursday morning.

The team of six, including a woman who previously scaled the Shard, used ladders to climb on the 40ft high awning at the front of the glass skyscraper at 7am.

They hung huge “oil droplets” from the sign and shrouded the company’s logo in black.

Greenpeace activists hang huge 'oil droplets' from the Barclays sign (Mark Blunden)
Greenpeace activists hang huge 'oil droplets' from the Barclays sign (Mark Blunden)

The protest was over Barclays funding of controversial Canadian oil pipelines that Greenpeace say are devastating the environment.

Campaigners scale Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf (Mark Blunden)
Campaigners scale Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf (Mark Blunden)

Activists disguised in suits also sneaked into the lobby and played recorded messages through a loudspeaker from customers urging the bank to re-think their investments.

Activists protest Barclays funding of controversial Canadian oil pipelines (Wayne Lloyd-Smith)
Activists protest Barclays funding of controversial Canadian oil pipelines (Wayne Lloyd-Smith)

The Met Police described the protest as peaceful and said there were no arrests in its early phase.

A Barclays spokeswoman said: "We take seriously our societal and environmental obligations and are in dialogue with Greenpeace on this issue.

"We will continue to carefully consider our approach, taking into consideration the views of all relevant stakeholders as well as the world’s energy needs."