Campaigners attack 'toxic projects' at bank's Royal Bank of Scotland's AGM

Published on Wednesday 28 April 2010 23:03

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners protested outside the Royal Bank of Scotland's AGM yesterday as shareholders arrived for the meeting.

They were highlighting what they described as "RBS-funded toxic projects" including tar sands extraction in Canada and the Vedanta Resources mining project in India

Up to 100 campaigners wearing badges saying "RBS public shareholder" waved placards and chanted: "RBS take some action – stop funding oil extraction."

Edinburgh University student Emily Sanderson, 28, said: "The public have the right to know how our money is being spent, especially if it is on something clearly devastating to other people's lives."

And Gordon Peters, 65, from Edinburgh, a retired consultant in health and social services, said: "Public pressure, like this protest, does help, especially when the government is a major shareholder."

Eriel Deranger, a Canadian First Nation activist and tar sands campaigner for the Rainforest Action Network, later questioned Sir Philip Hampton, the RBS chairman, inside the AGM, on the bank's involvement in tar sands companies.

But he said the bank's investment was "absolutely tiny" and that she should complain to the Canadian federal authorities.