MEMBERS of Extinction Rebellion from Powys and Shropshire have defended choosing to return to a Barclay’s branch in Cardiff straight after being convicted of trespass.

On Thursday (March 30) activists returned to the Working Street branch in Cardiff, immediately after having been found guilty of aggravated trespass, relating to a protest they held there in November 2022.

The protest was part of a 'day of activism' by Extinction Rebellion which claims the bank is using customer's money to invest in the fossil fuel.

After the three-day hearing, six activists left Cardiff Crown Court Court and walked directly to the bank, lining up in black and white striped “prisoner” outfits, holding signs which said “guilty for saying Barclays funds fossil fuels”.

One member, Pam Williams, from Van, near Llanidloes, said she wanted to ‘peacefully’ protest.

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She said: “I retired as a deputy head teacher in 1975 and retired in 2009 from the organic holding on the Pembrokeshire coast that I farmed with my husband.

“We now live on a smallholding in very rural mid-Wales.

“I stood peacefully in the window of Barclays in the hope of informing Barclays customers and passers-by that Barclays investments in fossil fuels that has caused ecological collapse by investing in tar sands.

“Barclays has spent £136 billion investing in fossil fuels since 2015.”

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Sahrah Wilding, a shepherd from Aberystwyth, explained why she also took part.

She said: “I took action because Barclays are the biggest fossil fuel funders in Europe. Even if you don't bank with Barclays, HMRC does, which means the money you pay in tax goes towards funding the climate and ecological emergency.”

All six defendants received fines following their convictions.

At the time of the protests, a Barclays spokesman said: "We are determined to play our part in addressing the urgent and complex challenge of climate change.

"In March, 2020, we were one of the first banks to set an ambition to become net zero by 2050, across all of our direct and indirect emissions, and we committed to align all of our financing activities with the goals and timelines of the Paris Agreement.

"We have a three-part strategy to turn that ambition into action: achieving net zero operations, reducing our financed emissions, and financing the transition."