Hundreds of protesters are causing havoc outside a London hotel, blocking several top oil executives from entering to attend a major industry conference.
The group of as many as 250 protesters are blocking all entrances to the Intercontinental hotel in London, where the annual Energy Intelligence Forum is taking place through Thursday. Greta Thunberg addressed crowds holding signs saying “People not Profit,” and several demonstrators accessed the roof of the hotel.
Executives from companies including Gunvor Group and Shell Plc are yet to enter the building and might not be able to deliver the speeches they were due to give to the oil and gas industry. The conference has attracted protesters in previous years, but this is the first time that access has been blocked.
Momentum is building among climate protesters ahead of global talks due to take place in Dubai in a few weeks. After a summer of wildfires and extreme heat, global average temperatures for September broke records by a huge margin. The temperature anomaly for the month was roughly 1.7C above pre-industrial levels, which is above the symbolic 1.5C mark set as the stretch goal in the Paris Agreement.
Organizers of the protest said more police were due to arrive to help contain the demonstration. They advised conference delegates not to try to cross the protest line.
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