MEMBERS of Extinction Rebellion's Abergavenny branch held a demonstration outside the town's Barclays bank on Saturday, protesting against what they called the bank's "funding [of] fossil fuel exploration and extraction", which they said was contributing to "global heating and disruptive climate change".

The group was taking part in a national Extinction Rebellion day of action against the bank firm.

The protesters talked to staff and customers during the morning opening hours, while offering cake as a gesture of goodwill.

"We wanted to make people aware that their money was going towards a collapse of the climate by funding fossil fuel," Diana Wallace, from near Raglan, said.

"Many people we spoke to didn’t know the extent to which Barclays are funding fossil fuels and were concerned about this.

"They said they wanted banks to operate on an ethical basis."

In response to the Extinction Rebellion protests, a spokesman for Barclays referred to the firm's Barclays Energy and Climate Change Statement – published in January 2019 – and said in a statement: “We recognise that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today, and are determined to do all we can to support the transition to a low carbon economy, while also ensuring that global energy needs continue to be met."

He added that Barclays in 2018 "facilitated £27.3 billion in social and environmental financing across our business, including green bonds and renewable financing".

Extinction Rebellion groups are organising a summer uprising in cities around the UK from July 15, with the organisation's Welsh arm – XR Cymru – planning to hold events in Cardiff city centre.