Extinction Rebellion protest takes place in Fishergate

Climate protestors from Extinction Rebellion demonstrated outside a branch of Howdens Insurance Pic: Extinction Rebellion

An Extinction Rebellion group took to the streets of Preston during Saturday as part of nationwide action against insurance firms.

The environmental group were part of a five-day protest across the country called ‘Insure Our Survival’.

It is targeted at insurance firms who they say are insuring new oil, gas and coal projects.

Preston protestors were outside a branch of Howdens Insurance in Fishergate.

They unfurled a banner outside the premises which is on the corner of Fishergate as you approach Preston Railway Station.

Banners were put up outside the Howden branch in Fishergate Pic: Extinction Rebellion

Alison Parker of Extinction Rebellion Cumbria, who was one of the organisers of the protest, said: ‘We’re here at Howden Insurance today because without insurance, the fossil fuel industry will have to stop taking fossil fuels out of the ground because they can’t afford the financial costs if something goes wrong. The Howden Insurance Group still insures fossil fuel extraction.

“The insurance industry could be climate heroes and use their ‘superpower’ to shut down the fossil fuel industry and help save our entire civilisation, and the biosphere that we rely on for life. Instead Howden Insurance Group say that they will be carbon neutral by 2030, while all the time enabling fossil fuel projects that help to create the extreme weather that is flooding our homes, destroying our food supply and threatening to kill billions in our lifetimes.”

A spokesperson for Howden said: “We were aware of the protest action targeting a number of UK insurance companies last week, and took steps to ensure the security of our premises and the safety of our employees and visitors.

“Howden is committed to playing an active role in the transition to net zero, and we believe that we can have more impact by working with clients to accelerate their decarbonisation than by disengaging from them. We have invested significantly in developing the solutions and driving the change needed for our industry to play its crucial role in derisking both the continued development of alternative energy sources and the decarbonisation of existing.”

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