Climate protesters in New York City call for end of fossil fuel funding by Wall Street
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Dozens were arrested as climate protesters from across the country converged on the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan on Friday to call on Wall Street to stop investing money into fossil fuels.
Hundreds of people gathered in Zuccotti Park and marched to Citigroup headquarters.
Many of the protesters were Black, Latino and Indigenous leaders from the Gulf Coast who say fossil fuel projects in that part of the country are devastating Black and Brown communities.
Organizers said their goal was not to be violent, but they did have a group of people blocking entrances to the building.
The NYPD said 61 protesters were arrested and all will be processed and released. Officers also issued two summonses.
"Our family and friends were willing to be arrested because their lives are on the line in our communities that are surrounded by the pollution that Citi is financing," said Roishetta Ozane, one of the protest organizers.
Protesters are calling it the Summer of Heat and have held several big protests in recent weeks targeting big companies and their funding of fossil fuel projects.
Citigroup asked staff members not to get drawn into altercations with protesters, a sign that the weekslong campaign is beginning to wear on employees and executives.
A spokesperson for Citi released the following statement:
"Citi welcomes continued engagement with our 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."
The organization had previously said it is committed to business with net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
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