Extinction Rebellion, the anti climate change civil resistance group, has held protests at British Cycling's National Cycling Centre in Manchester (video below) to demonstrate against the national governing body's sponsorship deal with oil company Shell.
A related group, Plastics Rebellion, also protested outside the office of Ineos - which sponsors the Ineos Grenadiers World Tour team - in Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge, central London. That protest at the Ineos offices involved spraying "fake oil" on the exterior of the building. The protestors also unfurled a banner stating 'Ineos=Plastic=Death' during today's protest.
"Plastics Rebellion sprayed fake oil outside the offices of Ineos, one of the world’s largest petrochemical producers and a significant player in the oil and gas market," Extinction Rebellion said of the protest. "Many of the plastics produced in the UK start their life at the Ineos Grangemouth refinery."
Advertisement
The protest at British Cycling's track and cycling centre in Manchester took place yesterday, with two protestors climbing the building, igniting flares and unfurling a banner stating "Get Shell out of British Cycling".
The centre where the protest was held is British Cycling's HQ, with a velodrome in the facility. The protest comes just a month after British Cycling unveiled a multi-year sponsorship deal with Shell, which has proven very contentious.
The deal runs until 2030 and though the oil company has its branding prominently on the British national team riders' kit, including at the recent World Track Championships, the value of the deal does not match previous deals with HSBC and Sky.
Related News
Greenpeace UK branded the deal as "brazen greenwashing". British Cycling's then chief executive, Brian Facer, stood down at the end of last month after a period of controversy following the announcement of the Shell deal and after advice to cyclists not to ride their bikes during the queen's funeral.
