The Royal Bank of Scotland were forced to change the schedule of their recruitment evening at the University of Manchester due to the presence of some polite but well informed environmental activists.
Some of the protesters outside afterwards
Students, thinly disguised as potential RBS employees, paid a visit to the RBS graduate recruitment evening held at the University of Manchester.
RBS hired extra security to deal with the potential threat following last weeks flash mob
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411541.html and tried to check entrants for the infamous yellow 'LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND' T-shirts.
RBS recruitment staff found themselves answering more questions about their financing of the fossil fuel industry than about potential graduate opportunities.
Protestors employed the silent theatre technique whereby RBS did not know who was a genuine recruit and who was just pretending.
RBS insisted that they do hold a concern for the environment as shown by their investment in renewable technology. However, the Leave it in the Ground crew responded that this was massively counterbalanced by their active encouragement and financing of fossil fuel exploration. For example, RBS client E-On's investment in renewables accounts for just 2% of their portfolio whilst coal accounts for 61%. (www.eon-uk.com/generation/191.aspx)
After 30 minutes of back and forth debate those potential recruits who remained were largely wearing yellow t-shirts. Security looked on nervously.
It seems where ever RBS go, their reckless and short-sighted financing of carbon intensive misdevelopments such as the new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth, will continue to haunt them.
The demo was held by University of Manchester and Manchester Met People and Planet groups.
RBS hired extra security to deal with the potential threat following last weeks flash mob
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411541.html and tried to check entrants for the infamous yellow 'LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND' T-shirts. RBS recruitment staff found themselves answering more questions about their financing of the fossil fuel industry than about potential graduate opportunities.
Protestors employed the silent theatre technique whereby RBS did not know who was a genuine recruit and who was just pretending.
RBS insisted that they do hold a concern for the environment as shown by their investment in renewable technology. However, the Leave it in the Ground crew responded that this was massively counterbalanced by their active encouragement and financing of fossil fuel exploration. For example, RBS client E-On's investment in renewables accounts for just 2% of their portfolio whilst coal accounts for 61%. (www.eon-uk.com/generation/191.aspx)
After 30 minutes of back and forth debate those potential recruits who remained were largely wearing yellow t-shirts. Security looked on nervously.
It seems where ever RBS go, their reckless and short-sighted financing of carbon intensive misdevelopments such as the new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth, will continue to haunt them.
The demo was held by University of Manchester and Manchester Met People and Planet groups.
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