Tougher laws said to be inspiring clandestine attacks on the ‘property and machinery’ of the fossil fuel economyIt was raining and the sparkling lights of the City of London shone back from the cold, wet pavement as two young men made their way through streets deserted save for a few police and private security. In the sleeping heart of the global financial system, they felt eyes on them from the city’s network of surveillance cameras, but hoped their disguise of high-vis vests and hoods hiding their faces would conceal them.Reaching Lime Street, they stopped by a maintenance hole and looked around to make sure no one was watching. One took off the cover, located a bundle of black cables and started hacking away. Hours later, an email was circulated to news desks: “Internet cut off to hundreds of insurers in climate-motivated sabotage.” Continue reading...
Facing worsening climate breakdown and feeling limited by traditional protest methods and increasingly restrictive laws, some climate activists are turning to sabotage. Groups like Shut the System are targeting fossil fuel infrastructure, while others damage pipelines and deflate SUV tires. This escalation, drawing inspiration from actions in Germany and France, is seen by some as a necessary response to the ineffectiveness of previous strategies.
