Amsterdam, 27 January 2020 – For a variety of climate action groups, the final week of January marks the first ever ‘Shell Must Fall – everywhere’ action week. Demonstrations and actions are planned across the country to demand a future without Shell. The action week can be seen as a teaser for what is expected in May of this year, when a mass civil disobedience action is planned around the annual Shell shareholders meeting in The Hague. This week, four public actions have been announced: A presentation of the real costs of Shell on Wednesday the 29th of January; an action at the University of Amsterdam to break its ties with Shell on Thursday; and two actions in Groningen to draw attention to the continued suffering in Groningen as a result of the gas extraction on Friday the 31st and Monday the 3rd of February.
Several action groups, among which Code Rood, Climate Liberation Bloc (CLuB), Gastivists, Fossil Free Culture NL and Extinction Rebellion, have combined their power under the name of Shell Must Fall. Together they demand an end of Shell. Action groups in neighboring countries have also indicated to support the campaign and plan to join the mass action in May at Shell’s shareholder meeting. The action in May will be preceded by an ‘alternative shareholders meeting’, where citizens, scientists, opinion makers and representative of frontline communities that deal directly with the impact of Shell, will discuss what is needed to stop a multinational like Shell and what a future without Shell could look like.
In May 2019, Code Rood, the Gastivists and Climate Liberation Bloc announced the end of Shell at the Shell shareholders meeting.“It has become obvious that our greatest task is to make Shell fall, and it is simply the only responsible thing to do” said one of the speakers in her speech. The groups indicated that dismantling Shell is the only way out, taking into account the company’s long history of climate denial, greenwashing, corruption, evading taxes and human rights violations.
During the upcoming week, 4 actions are announced publicly, two in Amsterdam and two in Groningen. On Wednesday the 29th Code Rood will present the true costs of Shell’s structural choice to place profit over life. This action comes one day before Shell will present its annual figures. On Thursday the 30st, students of the University of Amsterdam call on the university to break all ties and collaborations with Shell. On Friday the 31stand Monday the 3rd of February, actions are planned in Groningen, where people continue to suffer from the gas extraction. On Friday there will be a bike demonstration through the most affected area. On Monday, Code Rood Groningen and Extinction Rebellion Groningen plan an action at the University to end the relationships with Shell.
Note for the editor – not for publication
Contact Code Rood
+316 16291643 (Hanneke)
Follow us on social media for updates during the week:
Facebook:
Twitter: @klimaatactie @ShellMustFall
Instagram: @klimaatactie @ShellMustFall
More information can be found on our websites:
Videomaterial of our interventions at the Shell shareholders meeting in 2019 can be seen here:
Historic day: “You are witnessing the last ever Shell AGM!”
Shell Must Fall: “It is simply the only responsible thing to do”