Spray painted messages that appeared on the front of Barclays bank on Lincoln High Street on April 4, are being investigated as a criminal damage offence by Lincolnshire Police.
Lincolnshire Police who are currently investigating told LSJ News: “We received a report – incident 424 of 04/04 – at 21:42pm, that graffiti had been sprayed on glass outside a building.
“We are investigating this as criminal damage to a commercial premises on Lincoln High Street.”
The climate change activist group, Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire have already taken responsibility for the messages.
In a statement, they say that they targeted Barclays because they are a huge financial backer of the fossil fuel industry, and according to the Banking on Climate Change report, Barclays is also the worst offender in Europe.
Charley Camm, media co-ordinator for XR Lincolnshire told LSJ News: “There are solutions that are technically and economically possible within a short space of time, but urgent action is needed, and the government is not listening.
“Extinction Rebellion believes that people have a right and duty to rebel, to save our lives and the future of humanity.
“There is no time to lose, and we are using non-violent direct action.”
XR Lincolnshire were in London last week as part of a national protest against climate change.
During the protest it saw two members of the Lincolnshire group arrested and one charged.
64 year old retired grandmother, Rosemary Robinson, was arrested twice and has been charged after refusing to move from the area she was sitting in a Parliament square road blockage.
She told LSJ News: “The conversation I had with the police officers was polite and not confrontational.
“We understand that they are doing their jobs, and they understand we are peacefully protesting.
“There were no handcuffs used, and I was released from the police station about 7 hours later to return to our blockade in Parliament Square.”
Rosemary is set to appear in court in London on May 20.
Since the Lincolnshire incident, a Barclays spokesperson has said: “We recognise that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today and are determined to do all we can to support the transition to a low carbon economy, while also ensuring that global energy needs continue to be met.
“We continue to develop our green products suite and in 2018 we facilitated £27.3bn in social and environmental financing across our business including green bonds and renewable financing.”
