We’ve been going after the Royal Bank of Canada for bankrolling the tar sands for some time now. Today, we went after the other Royal Bank–the Royal Bank of Scotland–with our friends across the pond. RBS ranks 7th globally among banks backing tar sands operators, but first in the UK where taxpayers now own more than 80% of the bank. Hundreds converged on the Bank’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders and more than 15 bank branches across the UK.
Tomorrow RAN’s own Eriel Deranger meets with RBS Chairman Sir Phillip Hampton (more on that here). Will he pull the plug on companies destroying water and habitat and recognize the basic rights for Indigenous communities like other leading banks have done? We’re hoping he can out-do the “maybe” we heardfrom COO Barbara Stymiest in February.
World Development Movement has a great set of pictures from the demo today in Edinburgh. So does Ric James. Also, check out press coverage from the Caledonia Mercury, The Independent, Politics.co.uk, The Scotsman and a mention over at the BBC and the Financial Times.