City offices of major insurers attacked in protest

The windows of major insurers have been defaced and smashed during a protest.

Climate group Shut the System announced on X, formerly known as twitter, that it had targeted the offices of Chubb, Tokio Marine, Markel, Lloyd’s of London and QBE.

Photos show messages, such as “don’t insure fossil fuels”, spray painted across windows, while one imaged showed the Chubb window had been smashed.

Insurance is the chink in the armour of the fossil fuel industry destroying our climate and our chances of a liveable future.@Chubb@tokiomarine@MarkelUK@QBE@LibertyGILtd@LloydsofLondon you have a power to end pollution and create a safer future for children today. pic.twitter.com/BOKcOqTm9q

— Shut the System (@shut_system) July 24, 2024

Major insurer, @Chubb, supports coal, oil and gas projects, insuring pollution and death from weather-related disasters globally.

Chubb has yet to rule out the controversial, human-rights catastrophe, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.#InsureLifeNotDeath#StopEACOPpic.twitter.com/hHLvjHltZa

— Shut the System (@shut_system) July 24, 2024

Other protest

This is not the first protest by the newly formed group – back in February it splattered fake blood across three insurance offices.

The group made the move following the news that global warming exceeded 1.5C across an entire year, breaching the Paris Agreement’s target.

It also said it had concerns about firms insuring what it claims are fossil fuel projects and warned that it “would be back” if worries were not listened to.

“Insurance companies have the power to stop new fossil fuel projects from going ahead and releasing millions more tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” a protester said.

”Fossil fuel companies cannot begin work without insurance. Coal, oil and gas are being extracted in the name of profit and greed. The consequences will be disastrous for humanity.

”Insurers have the power to change this. If not, we will be back.”