Previous Cut the Ties Action Examples
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – XR South West / South East
Fake oil from Cut the Ties branded fire extinguishers was sprayed over the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy whilst Rebels held placards, chanted and set off smoke grenades.
Tufton Street – Writers Rebellion
Fake oil was poured down the steps of 55 Tufton Street, home to Institute for Economic Affairs whilst rebels from Writers Rebel read a William Blake poem.
Eversheds Solicitors – HS2 Rebellion
Fake oil from Cut the Ties branded fire extinguishers was sprayed over the office of Eversheds solicitors, who act for Exxon Mobil and HS2. Rebels locked on in the entrance door blocking access for staff and visitors. Other rebels set off smoke grenades, held banners and gave out leaflets. Eversheds were clearly embarrassed, had the oil cleaned off within an hour and implored the police not to make arrests for fear of reputational damage.
Ineos – Plastics Rebellion
Plastics Rebellion targeted Europe’s biggest plastics manufacturer at their head office in West London. Banners were unravelled whilst rebels climbed onto the porch roof, sprayed the building with fake oil and set off smoke grenades. The latter having an unintended but very effective side effect of setting off Ineos’ smoke alarms, causing all the staff to be evacuated to a muster point in front of the protest.
BAE Systems offices - Christian Climate Action
Christian Climate Action left hand prints in fake blood and oil at the offices of Britain’s leading arms manufacturer BAE Systems who supply weapons to conflicts which increase the vulnerability of people living on the front lines of climate change. The arms giant also provides military and technical support to Saudi Arabia, enabling the regime’s oil production. A spokesperson said: "Through oil you have blood on your hands."
Church House - Christian Climate Action
Christian Climate Action also protested at Church House in Westminster to highlight the Church of England’s failing strategy to stay invested in fossil fuels and influence the industry as shareholders.
JP Morgan – XR Health (Doctors)
Three doctors glued themselves to the windows of JP Morgan alongside artistic posters portraying the incongruity between the damage the climate crisis is causing and tomato soup on Van Gogh’s painting of the sunflowers, asking which of these is vandalism?
Schlumberger – XR Wales / XR Youth
Rebels sprayed fake oil over the building and poured oil over a model of the earth whilst other Rebels held banners.
Ontario Teachers Pension Fund - Sky Rebellion
Sky Rebellion protested at the London offices of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. The Canadian based pension fund invests in infrastructure projects including the controversial expansion of Bristol Airport which it owns. Sky Rebellion poured fake oil in front of the office, holding a banner demanding airport expansion is stopped.
Hill & Knowlton – XR Cymru
XR Cymru splattered fake oil over the offices of public relations consultancy Hill & Knowlton Strategies. Hill & Knowlton has worked for fossil fuel companies ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and Saudi Aramco and recently managed communications for Egypt’s presidency of the UN climate conference at Sharm El Sheikh.
BP – XR South East
Rebels sprayed fake oil at BP’s HQ in St James Square to protest against its obscene £7.1 billion profits, which it has amassed as families struggle to cope with rocketing energy costs. BP makes no secret of its strategy to continue to invest in extracting fossil fuels in the face of rapidly increasing climate breakdown and despite UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres warning that the policy is “delusional”.
Arch Insurance – Money Rebellion
Money Rebellion poured fake oil at the offices of Arch Insurance. Arch Insurance had refused to rule out insuring fossil fuel giant Total’s East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a project that will jeopardise important ecosystems, fuel climate change and pose significant risks to millions of people.
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) - Ocean Rebellion
Ocean Rebellion carried out an extremely effective non-spicy and highly theatrical action at the office of the IMO. It included pyrotechnics, rebels dressed in black with fake oil drums for heads, pouring oil into a clean ocean. No arrests were made – showing how effective having a theatrical protest can be. The Dirty Scrubbers cleaned up the oil as part of the action.
Edelman – XR London
Rebels put up a greenwashing line outside the public relations company Edleman’s London offices, calling them out on the PR work they do for big oil companies such as Shell and Exxon.
Worley – XR South East
Four rebels climbed onto the roof of Worley’s Head Office in West London. Worley are the main engineering company for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Chalk paint was used to graffiti “DROP EACOP” and fake oil was sprayed on their building. The rebels then played samba on the roof disrupting those working inside. A large support crew held banners and engaged with staff entering and leaving.
The Home Office – XR South East
The Home Office was chosen to protest the decision to open the new Cumbrian coal mine. This was a theatrical action where rebels dressed as canaries were chased around by a rebel dressed as Michael Gove, while fake oil was poured at the entrance and two rebels locked on in front of the main doors. Interestingly, although the two oil pourers were arrested the police deemed the rest of the action to be proportional and left the action to continue!
London Fashion Show – Plastics Rebellion
Rebels from Plastics Rebellion chose to target the London Fashion Show which, despite claiming green credentials, chose Coca Cola as their sponsor – the world’s biggest plastic polluter! Rebels dressed in white hazmat suits rolled out a red carpet in front of the venue and poured fake oil down it from huge Coca Cola bottles. Other rebels held banners, placards and engaged with the public and people entering the venue.
