Activists deface BP posters in London


by Newswire    
12:30 pm - February 24th 2012

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A group of activists acting anonymously have defaced hundreds of BP Olympics posters across London.

In a press release yesterday they said the actions were in protest at BP’s role as ‘Sustainability Partner’ of the London Olympics.

Around the capital, protesters hit petrol stations, advertising hoardings, and BP-sponsored cultural institutions, disfiguring the BP ‘sunflower’ logo.

They say the action would be “the first of many” with “more BP branding to be targeted in the run up to the Olympics”.

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Last week a coalition of NGOs and individuals wrote an open letter to the Olympics organisers raising concerns BP’s sponsorship.

One activist said:

The Olympics gives BP the chance to look ethical and yet lead the public down the garden path. BP pays millions to manufacture a false reputation as a ‘sustainable’ company, and deflect all attention from its actual operations.

This sickening marketing spree amounts to a major cover-up – and so today we took our own action to cover it up.

Another said:

BP has just closed its solar business and is now plunging into highly polluting tar sands, exploring the pristine Arctic and restarting its deepwater drilling operations.

These extreme forms of energy extraction are incompatible with stopping climate change, yet BP pursues them greedily while gloatingly advertising itself as ‘Sustainability Partner’.

Their website features more pictures and explains problems with BP’s sponsorship of the Olympics.

Research shows that BP’s sponsorship of the Olympics has indeed improved its public image.

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Reader comments


1. X

What do they actualy want a world without oil?

2. Shatterface

How do you know Anonylous are behind this?

Anyway, I hope all the international athletes are cycling here, or coming by zepplin.

3. Chaise Guevara

@ 3

“Anyway, I hope all the international athletes are cycling here, or coming by zepplin.”

Straw man. They’re complaining about greenwashing, not (as far as I can see) demanding that everyone stop using fossil fuels this second.

4. nonny mouse

Writing graffiti on posters.

Breaking windows.

Stealing TVs.

Burning down shops.

Stabbings on Oxford Street.

This is the Labour generation. Labour have been telling us for years how Thatcher destroyed the hopes of a whole generation of British kids. When are they going to accept the blame for kids who grew up under Blair and Brown?

5. jimmy

@ 2 Shatterface

I think it means people who are anonymous, rather than people who are part of Anonymous. Adjective, not proper noun.

6. Peter Stewert

@4 nonny mouse

Care to offer any suggestions as to what the Blair/Brown years did to the (at least initially) innocent souls?

I hope you are not suggesting that they were let of easy as they are arguably the most criminalised generation to grow up in the UK, or so the LibDems believe. And of course this all assumes that some barely-beyond-their-teen-years rapscallions are behind this. It could be pensions that survived the winter no thanks to rocking energy prices.

For myself I’m dead proud of this strike against BP. Whether it was Blair/Browns children that did it or no; sometimes you just have to do the ASA’s job if you want it done at all.

7. damon

Having not approved at the pouring oil over herself stunt that the woman did outside Waitrose, can I say that I fully approve of this kind of thing though.
I don’t really care what the issue is about, but if you feel about something strongly, going out and defacing these billboards is quite good. It’s kind of fun too when you see them and makes you glad that thre are people around who still have a bit of liveliness in them and we’re not just all kowtowing and bowing to corporate BS.

8. Zuruspa

Shatterface, you know what the Eurostar is? Hint: electric high-speed train.
As for *intercontinental* travellers, yes, plane. Plane over a 800km trip is the most efficient. Under that, train!

9. Chaise Guevara

@ 4 nonny mouse

“Writing graffiti on posters.

Breaking windows.

Stealing TVs.

Burning down shops.

Stabbings on Oxford Street.

This is the Labour generation. ”

Either that, or you’re a grumpy old fart yelling at kids to get off your lawn.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Mel Wylie

    Oops. BP's green #Olympics campaign hasn't got off to a good start http://t.co/9a1mlech

  2. Chris Spyrou

    Anonymous activists deface BP Olympic posters in London http://t.co/peIRq8Sj

  3. PLATFORM

    Anonymous activists deface BP posters in London | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/9qFtDKsb via @libcon

  4. Laura Scott

    Anonymous activists deface BP posters in London | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/9qFtDKsb via @libcon

  5. D.J. Cook

    Anonymous activists deface BP posters in London | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/JOXq44AF via @libcon

  6. Simon Adderley

    #willtheyneverlearn "@JessicaBG: Oops. BP's green #Olympics campaign hasn't got off to a good start http://t.co/WYLZptrc”

  7. Ed Brown

    Seems that Dow Chemiclas are not the only Olympic sponsors to be raising serious question marks. http://t.co/6jZdeBvj

  8. Ashlea Cliff

    Anonymous activists deface dozens of BP's Olympics posters across London http://t.co/4kZuKuOH

  9. Jason West

    RT @sunny_hundal Anonymous activists deface dozens of BP's Olympics posters across London http://t.co/klg012RL #DeepFriedOlympics

  10. Marwa Arafa

    Anonymous activists deface BP posters in London | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/5iy7wGjh via @libcon

  11. Ed Kelly

    Anonymous activists deface BP posters in London – http://t.co/zpqfRFSs

  12. JSAWales

    Activists deface BP posters in London | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/1T8a7alZ via @libcon

  13. Dr Matthew Aylott

    Oops. BP's green #Olympics campaign hasn't got off to a good start http://t.co/9a1mlech





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