BANKS that invest in fossil fuels were targeted by Extinction Rebellion (XR) today in the environmental group’s continuing campaign to raise awareness of climate change.

Protests were staged at bank offices nationwide but the main targets were in London, where hundreds of activists have been staging occupations and other protests since Monday.

The three main banks being targeted are Barclays, HSBC and JP Morgan, which XR says are the three main financial institutions for investing in climate-wrecking fossil fuels — despite promises to stop doing so.

In the capital eight women activists dressed in black symbolically broke two windows at the European office of JP Morgan at Canary Wharf.

They had put stickers on the windows reading: “In case of climate emergency, break glass,” and used hammers painted with words such as “Life, Love and Care” to break the glass before sitting down and waiting to be arrested.

The action took place as a new report by the World Meteorological Organisation released today revealed that “natural” disasters such as wildfires and floods have increased five-fold in the last 50 years, while the costs of the disasters have increased seven times over.

Extinction Rebellion has accused Barclays, HSBC and JP Morgan of implementing a “suicidal business model which is pushing the planet to breaking point.”

Activists from across the UK are in the capital for this week’s continuing protests, which XR says are being met with increasing violence by police.

Rosemary Webster, 63, from Dorchester said: “Banks must stop the harm they are causing right now to avoid climate collapse, which will disproportionately affect women globally as society breaks down.”

She said that 70 per cent of the world’s poorest people are women already on the front line of the climate and ecological crisis.

Lizzie Cass, from Extinction Rebellion Leeds, who joined the London protests said: “Rebellions are going on around London against the banks that fund fossil fuels, protesting with stickers and red paint.”

Activists in Bradford targeted the city’s branch of Barclays.

Paul McHugh, of Extinction Rebellion Bradford said: “We surrounded the bank with ‘crime scene’ tape and held a die-in, holding signs about the ‘climate crimes’ that Barclays are responsible for: their funding of fossil fuel industries.

“We gave out a lot of leaflets. People were supportive of what we are doing, but frustrated.”

The banks have been approached for comment.