A group of seniors was arrested in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday during the latest in a string of climate protests targeting Citigroup.
The demonstrators, many of whom wore photographs of their loved ones around their necks, marched toward Citi’s headquarters at 388 Greenwich St. at around 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 27. Some clung to pictures of their sons and daughters, others proudly displayed their grandchildren, and still others displayed their pets.
For this grizzled group, the photos symbolized their fight for future generations. Singing and interlocking arms, they blocked the entrance to the financial giant’s headquarters, preventing workers from accessing the building.
According to organizer Third Act, the seniors joined the civil disobedience as part of a larger movement dubbed the “Summer of Heat.” Activists say the ongoing action takes aim at Citigroup for allegedly bankrolling coal, oil, and gas companies that they say pollute communities and cause global warming.
Sources familiar with Citigroup have disputed this claim, stating that it categorizes itself as a traditional lender when it comes to bank financing and not specifically an investor. It rather offers a line of credit or loan to companies without discrimination. However, protesters sometimes misconstrue the amount of money the financial giant lends a company with the funding a borrower spends on fossil fuel investments.
A Citigroup spokesperson stated that they are open to discussion and are transparent with their climate-related activity.
“Citi has a long-standing record of fostering open dialogue and reaching constructive solutions with a range of stakeholders, and we are transparent about our climate-related activities. We are supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy through our net zero commitments and our $1 trillion sustainable finance goal. Our approach reflects the need to transition while also continuing to meet global energy needs.,” Citigroup spokesperson said.
It did not take long for the NYPD to start making arrests. Officers zip-tied dozens of protestors and whisked them away to waiting police vans.
Biologist and author Sandra Steingraber, 65, spoke with amNewYork Metro as police hauled her away.
“I do a lot of public testimony, and I work with the federal government on climate policy, but when they don’t listen, social activism can open a space for science to speak,” Steingraber shouted over the heads of officers. “This is one of the biggest financiers of fossil fuels in the world.”
Some 500 hundred protesters have been arrested since the demonstrations commenced at the beginning of the summer.
