Extinction Rebellion protestors glue themselves to office doors in Dublin fossil fuel protest  

Extinction Rebellion protestor Pasha Fedjukovs and — beyond him, Sineaid Whelan — both glued themselves to the doors into Blackrock, an asset management firm. Picture: Alison O'Reilly

Protestors glued their hands to glass doors at the entrance to the offices of asset management company Blackrock, in Ballsbridge, Dublin yesterday over the company's investments in fossil fuels.

Up to 20 members of the Extinction Rebellion climate change action group rallied at the head offices of the company calling for divestment, claiming that the firm is escalating the environmental crisis.

Demonstrators carried large banners and placards saying “Blackrock Divest from fossil fuel ecocide” and spilled fake oil on the ground at the front of the building, along with red paper to represent blood.

Pasha Fedjukovs was one of two protestors who sat on the ground at the entrance and glued his left hand to the front door.

He told the Irish Examiner: “They’re investing in fossil fuels. Last Autumn, they said they are not going to stop, and that’s outrageous, they are destroying our planet."

Gluing my hand is civil disobedience, I’m blocking them, making it hard for them to do what they are doing and trying to get them to stop. I’ll sit here all day if I have to.

Sitting next to Pasha was Sineaid Whelan who said: “I’ve glued myself to this building in an attempt to disrupt their day-to-day workings and to draw attention to the fact that out of 30 of the biggest asset management companies, Blackrock is the biggest in oil management. 

"At this stage of the crisis, for them to still be investigating in fossil fuels is awful.

Sineaid Whelan with her left hand glued to the door of the Blackrock asset management company in Dublin. Picture: Alison O'Reilly

“Their profits are going up and up, we still have time to change to get back on track. I am 19 and this is nonviolent disobedience, which we are planning on engaging more in, in 2023. 

"There isn’t enough pressure anymore on the system to change, so we will be doing as much as we can to convince people. I am not going to hurt my hand, but the gardaí, if they are going to arrest me, will have to pull me away".

Manuel Salazar, spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said they wanted to use tactics to make the Irish people “wake up and listen” to their message about the asset management firm: 

 They are investing heavily and actively in these fuels. It is against the climate goals here. 

"We are doing a bit of disruption, we are letting them know we are here and we want to highlight attention about what this company is doing.

“The gardaí are here so far but they have not arrested anyone. We have the right to protest, so they will decide what they are going to do. This is just a tactic, we want the company to stop what they are doing. 

"They are investing in a business that is destroying our collective future and making a profit from it.”

A Blackrock spokesperson said that the money it managed belonged to clients. 

"We provide choice to our clients, we seek the best risk-adjusted returns within the mandate our clients give us," they said.

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