" Climate activists, journalist forcibly ejected from Standard Bank HQ anti-fossil fuel protest" 20 September 2023

Activists from Extinction Rebellion arrived at the offices of Standard Bank — the largest bank on the continent by assets — in Rosebank, Johannesburg, on Tuesday to call for the bank to stop all investments in fossil fuel projects and redirect the funding to renewable energy.

The protesters entered the bank’s headquarters a few at a time so as not to alert security personnel. [...] While the protest started as a peaceful manifestation of civil disobedience, protesters and private security quickly clashed when authorities became heavy handed, and a protester was injured. Russell Florence, an Extinction Rebellion activist from Eldorado Park, was dropped on his head by security guards when they carried him out of the building, and Florence lost consciousness. Security workers whisked Florence to the building’s medical bay, where he was kept for several hours. Standard Bank spokesperson Ross Linstrom told Daily Maverick on Tuesday, “Standard Bank initiated medical assistance out of an abundance of caution. The person in question has since rejoined the small group of protesters outside of Standard Bank’s building.”