Quick question: what’s the best way to get the attention of the Royal Bank of Canada’s CEO?
Answer: Take his giant inflatable head to a golf tournament he’s sponsoring.
The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) are the worst fossil fuel funder in Canada, and 5th worst in the world. They’ve lent a terrifying $201bn to fossil fuel companies since 2016. That’s the same fossil fuel companies laying giant pipelines around the world, destroying indigenous land rights, and throwing fuel on the climate crisis.
RBC are desperately trying to make sure that nobody notices. So they’re sponsoring things like major golf tournaments in the hope that you’ll watch the little white ball, rather than our big blue and green one.
So incredible activists across Canada descended on the golf tournament, all to make sure RBC can’t distract people from the billions they’re lending to fossil fuel companies. And the actions were amazing!
Featuring:
❤️🔥15-ft inflatable of CEO Dave McKay on top of flames: “@RBC is burning our future”
🪩 DJ @Angelphroot & @freeleereed original song “Get The F*&k Off The Yintah”
🦁 @RBC lions, human billboards, banners, oh my!
⛳️ a “tar sands trap” mini-golf green#RBCisKillingMe pic.twitter.com/YZGdPFJWSD
— Stand.earth (@standearth) June 13, 2022
Incredible campaigners from Extinction Rebellion Toronto even got into the event!
BREAKING – activists from @XR_GTA have disrupted the @RBCCanadianOpen to protest the bank’s massive funding of fossil fuels and Indigenous rights violations! #ActNow #RBCCO #RBCCanadianOpen pic.twitter.com/FGW7PQ5xDJ
— Extinction Rebellion Canada (@xRebelCanada) June 10, 2022
RBC isn’t just funding any pipeline. They’re funding a giant project called Coastal Gas Link. It’s a huge pipeline that is threatening to smash right through land belonging to the Wet’suwet’en people. The project is in clear violation of their indigenous rights. And chiefs, alongside many more indigenous land defenders, are fighting back.
Even Mark Ruffalo made an appearance as activists took to billboards explaining why RBC’s funding of Tar Sands fossil fuel extraction is particularly damaging to people and planet:
Activists around the world are standing behind indigenous land defenders and demanding that RBC stops funding Coastal Gas Link (and all fossil fuels) around the world. Together, we’re not letting RBC get away with what they’re doing.
❤️
See more from incredible campaigners at:
https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/
https://rebellion.global/groups/ca-canada/#groups