Press releases

PRESS RELEASE: SUNDAY 31ST OCTOBER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Young people campaigning against Shell sponsorship barred from entering the Science Museum

The Science Museum has barred two young people involved in campaigning for the museum to drop its fossil fuel sponsorship from entering the museum

The young people, from UKSCN London, wanted to check whether youth strike placards controversially included in a Shell-sponsored display had now been removed, but were told by Museum staff they were not allowed in, after having their bags searched twice

The move comes in the wake of two resignations from the Museum’s board of trustees, Jo Foster and Hannah Fry, citing the planned sponsorship deal with coal giant Adani as the reason for their departure

A statement by the chair of the board of trustees released yesterday promised to ‘engage...with those who disagree with our position'

To talk to the young people who were barred from the museum or for more information call 07858 913 920 or email media.ukscnlondon@gmail.com

This afternoon (31st October), two young climate activists were barred from entering the Science Museum, when trying to visit to view changes to the Shell-sponsored Our Future Planet exhibition after the removal of a placard from the youth climate protests, at the placard-maker’s request, in September. The young people had heard that all youth strike placards have now been removed, and wanted to verify this for themselves, as well as information that the display now contains two sacks of coal instead.

The Museum cited ‘disruption’ as the reason for refusing entry. The exhibition in question has drawn heavy criticism of the museum because it is sponsored by Shell. The museum also has controversial sponsorship deals with the oil and gas companies BP and Equinor, and has come under increased pressure after it announced last week that the coal giant Adani would sponsor its new ‘Energy Revolution’ gallery.

Izzy, 17, one of the people refused entry, said:

“Being barred from entry this afternoon shows that the Museum cares more about its relationship with fossil fuel giants Shell and Adani than it does about the hundreds of young people and scientists who have been calling for these sponsorship deals to be dropped. It’s insulting that this comes less than a day after the Chair of the Museum’s Trustees promised ‘robust internal debate’ and to ‘engage .. with those who disagree with our position’. If the museum is serious about Science, it will stop taking money from companies that profit off climate disaster and have an awful record on human rights.”

The museum’s action comes days after the young activists, from UKSCN London, staged an overnight occupation at the Museum in protest at the fossil fuel sponsorship, and held a simultaneous vigil outside to remember communities impacted and lives lost to the brutal actions of these fossil fuel giants. Members of frontline communities from Nigeria, West Papua, Pacific Islands and Senegal, joined arts workers to share their experiences and call on the Museum to stop promoting these destructive fossil fuel corporations.

The Museum has taken this decision on the first day of the COP26 Climate Summit taking place in Glasgow. It was revealed last week that fossil fuel companies have been barred from having any formal role at the summit, in a marked contrast to the Science Museum’s own stance. Despite their claims of going ‘net zero’, all four of the museum’s fossil fuel sponsors are continuing to invest in new fossil fuel exploration, despite the International Energy Agency making it clear that investment in coal, oil and gas must end this year in order to meet the Paris Agreement targets.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Tweet and video with Izzy speaking about what happened: https://twitter.com/ukscn_london/status/1454843411555565571

Photos from the occupation and vigil can be found here

About UKSCN London

UKSCN London is a radical youth-led organisation, in London, mobilising for climate justice. They aim to create a new generation of young activists who are educated about society and the change we need, in order to work with other movements to change the system we live in.

Members come from across the city and a range of backgrounds and experiences, but are united by a commitment to creating a world where everyone can live safely. UKSCN London are part of the UK Student Climate Network and national Youth Strike For Climate movement.

UKSCN London: www.ukscnlondon.org

PRESS RELEASE: WEDNESDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2021, 06.00

Youth climate activists occupy Science Museum overnight in protest at fossil fuel sponsors

Young climate activists continue overnight occupation of Science Museum after 12 hours
Group say it’s time to ‘reclaim museum’ from fossil fuel sponsors BP, Shell, Equinor and Adani
Pressure mounts on museum director, Ian Blatchford, ahead of COP26 Climate Summit, following controversial BBC interview
Indigenous leader condemns Blatchford’s comments and calls on museum to ‘respect the fundamental human rights of Indigenous peoples’

For more information, or to interview a young person currently occupying the museum, call 07858913920 or email media.ukscnlondon@gmail.com. Follow @ukscn_london on Twitter for latest updates. Photos are being uploaded here and a selection attached for use.

This morning, a group of 30 young climate activists, scientists and campaigners will leave the Science Museum after successfully occupying the building overnight in a protest against the museum’s controversial sponsorship deals with the oil and gas companies BP, Equinor and Shell. The museum has come under increased pressure after it announced last week that the coal giant Adani would sponsor its new ‘Energy Revolution’ gallery. It followed the news that former Science Museum director Professor Chris Rapley had resigned from the museum’s Advisory Board over its stance on oil sponsorship.

The occupation, organised by youth strikers UKSCN London, followed a similar protest in June which ended prematurely after the young activists were confronted by an excessive and disproportionate police response. This time, despite having items such as sleeping bags, foil blankets and leaflets confiscated by museum security as they entered, the group refused to leave as the museum closed on Tuesday. They successfully negotiated to remain overnight where they unfurled banners and hosted livestreams on social media. Alongside the occupation, a simultaneous vigil took place outside the museum, focused on remembering both the victims of the climate crisis and the activists and environmental defenders whose deaths the museum’s four fossil fuel sponsors are complicit in.

Izzy, 17, a member of UKSCN London, who participated in the occupation, said:

‘We chose to take this action today because the Science Museum has consistently refused to engage with any other tactics. We’ve tried petitions, letters, boycotts and protests, all of which have been met with silence. The Science Museum’s director is failing to do his job by sacrificing the museum's reputation and credibility for his own admiration of fossil fuel companies. He repeatedly emphasises the importance of engaging with the oil and coal industry while the legitimate concerns of young people, scientists and impacted communities have been ignored, diminished and sidelined. The director of a publicly funded museum shouldn’t be defending the coal industry and the Science Museum shouldn’t belong to the corporations causing the climate crisis; it is time for young people and scientists to reclaim this space from its destructive sponsors.’

On Tuesday’s edition of ‘Front Row’ on BBC Radio 4, Science Museum Director Ian Blatchford was asked how he responded to the criticism made by Adrian Burragubba, Indigenous spokesperson for the Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council and senior cultural custodian of the land where Adani is building its Carmichael mine in Australia, that ‘...by putting this company on a pedestal, the Science Museum is complicit in Adani’s violation of our Human Rights and destruction of our ancestral lands.’ In response, Blatchford defended the coal company’s operations at the controversial Carmichael coal mine, and claimed we should also be “looking at other voices”. Blatchford said ‘there is certainly a great tendency for some campaigners to exaggerate very significantly those issues’, a statement that has been criticised by the StopAdani campaign on Twitter for unveiling ‘the despicable colonial arrogance behind the British @sciencemuseum's decision to platform such a destructive company. We must listen and stand with First Nations people.’

Adrian Burragubba, has issued this statement in response to Blatchford’s comments:

“The British Science Museum should be respecting the fundamental human rights of Indigenous peoples. Instead, director Ian Blatchford has dismissed us and chosen to support Adani, a company that is destroying our land and violating our rights. Every step of the way, Adani has used lies and deception to persecute my people, interfere in our decision making processes, and undermine our rights to self-determination. In 2014, the Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council, a representative body made up of hundreds of people, said no to Adani digging a coal mine on our land. We have continued to oppose the Adani mine on our land in five Federal court cases. Adani has ignored our representatives, divided our people, and used money and influence to manufacture sham agreements. Adani influenced the Prime Minister of Australia to extinguish our native title rights, they bankrupted me personally for standing up for our rights, and made me a trespasser on my own land.

He went on to say:

“Adani’s coal mine has no Free, Prior and Informed consent from Wangan and Jagalingou people. We know the damage this mine will cause to our ancestral homelands and we continue to oppose it. Adani’s corporate behaviour is in clear violation of human rights, not only of Indigenous people in Australia, but Indigenous people all around the world. Adani works to shut Indigenous people up, to criminalise us, and bankrupt us. Adani is not a good corporate citizen. I certainly wouldn’t take money from them.”

The protest comes just days before COP26 Climate Summit takes place in Glasgow. It was revealed last week that fossil fuel companies have been barred from having any formal role at the summit, in a marked contrast to the Science Museum’s own stance. Despite their claims of going ‘net zero’, all four of the museum’s fossil fuel sponsors are continuing to invest in new fossil fuel exploration, despite the International Energy Agency making it clear that investment in coal, oil and gas must end this year in order to meet the Paris Agreement targets.

Since Shell's sponsorship of the 'Our Future Planet' exhibition was announced in April, the museum has received a huge backlash from climate activists, scientists and the wider public and it was revealed on Channel 4 that the museum had also signed a ‘gagging clause’ with Shell as part of the sponsorship agreement. There has been a series of protests led by UKSCN London and Scientists for XR, thousands joined a boycott of the exhibition and over 50,000 signed a petition. The youth strikers were particularly disappointed to see climate strike placards included in a fossil fuel-sponsored exhibition without the donors being informed of the sponsorship. In September, following a letter from UKSCN London and placard donors, the placards have been removed from display and replaced with a set of newspapers displaying climate-related headlines

Notes to editors

About UKSCN London:

Website: www.ukscnlondon.org

PRESS RELEASE: TUESDAY 26TH OCTOBER, 18.00

Science Museum occupied overnight by young people protesting fossil fuel sponsorship

Youth strike organisers UKSCN London and supporters have returned to occupy the Science Museum inside and outside in protest at fossil fuel sponsorship.
The protest follows significant campaign developments such as the Museum’s announcement last week of their new sponsorship deal with Adani, the discovery of a ‘gagging clause’ in the sponsorship contract with Shell and the resignation of former museum director and advisory board member Professor Chris Rapley.
Outside the museum, a vigil is being held to commemorate the victims of the Museum’s fossil fuel sponsors: Shell, BP, Equinor and Adani.

A group of young climate activists are currently occupying the Science Museum for the second time this year, protesting the museum’s ties with oil giants Shell, BP and Equinor, and their newly announced sponsorship agreement with energy conglomerate and coal giant Adani.

40 members of UKSCN London and supporting groups are currently occupying the 2nd floor of London’s Science Museum, intending to stay overnight creating an art installation made up of hundreds of origami shells. This follows an attempt by UKSCN London to occupy the Science Museum in June, which was ended in a disproportionate manner when the Science Museum called the police to remove the protesters (many of whom were teenagers).

Outside the museum, a vigil is taking place to remember the lives lost to the climate crisis and the activists and Indigenous people who have been killed and impacted by the Science Museum’s sponsors. Speakers include Zita Holbourne - Vice-President of PCS Union and joint Chair of Artists' Union England, Lazarus Tamana from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Asad Rehman - Director of War on Want representing Wretched of the Earth, and a message from Australian School Strike 4 Climate activists who have been campaigning against the Adani Carmichael Coal and Railway Project. The vigil is supported by the Art Workers Forum, a group of trade unionists from across the cultural sector. A similar vigil is taking place inside the museum.

Ines, 17, a member of UKSCN London, said:

“We are less than a week away from the start of COP26. Now is the time to abolish fossil fuel companies, not collaborate with them or invite them into our cultural spaces. The Science Museum’s senior management and board have shut down any attempt at a conversation with young activists and scientists. Meanwhile, they are welcoming some of the worst perpetrators of the climate crisis with open arms. Even COP26 has recognised there is no space for fossil fuel corporations in climate crisis solutions and they have been excluded from being formally involved. The Science Museum needs to seriously rethink its sponsorship deals before it loses its remaining credibility and legitimacy as a scientific institution.”

Natasha and Bailey, 17-year-old climate justice activists who organise in Australia, said:

"To be enabling and supporting Adani is shameful. Here in Australia, we have been fighting off this coal mine since 2012 and we will continue to prevent its construction and funding from happening. The Adani company are relentlessly trying to get this coal mine project running, fuelling the climate crisis, hurting Indigenous communities and hurting communities of colour. The support and enabling of the Adani company to sponsor this Museum is a slap in the face to us here in Australia."

Since Shell's sponsorship of the 'Our Future Planet' exhibition was announced in April, the museum has received a huge backlash from climate activists, scientists and the wider public. There has been a series of protests led by UKSCN London and Scientists for XR, thousands joined a boycott of the exhibition and over 50,000 signed a petition. The youth strikers were particularly disappointed to see climate strike placards included in a fossil fuel-sponsored exhibition without the donors being informed of the sponsorship. In September, following a letter from UKSCN London and placard donors one of the placards has been removed from display.

PRESS RELEASE: THURSDAY 08.09.21

Young people demand placard is removed from Shell-sponsored Science Museum exhibition

Owner of a placard from the London youth strikes currently displayed in the Science Museum has formally requested it be removed
Young people who donated placards were not informed they would be in an exhibition sponsored by fossil fuel giant Shell
Museum accused of hypocrisy over celebrating youth climate action in its display then calling the police on the same young activists when they protested at the museum
Museum asked to guarantee it will never again display youth strike placards in a fossil-fuel-sponsored space

For more information and quotes, contact: UKSCN London ukscn.london@protonmail.com or Culture Unstained info@cultureunstained.org

Young climate campaigners from UKSCN London have today written to the Science Museum formally requesting that one of the placards it has on display be removed. The ‘Keep it cool’ placard, created by 20-year-old Bella May for the London youth climate strikes in 2019, was put in the ‘Our Future Planet’ exhibition without Bella being informed that the exhibition was going to be sponsored by Shell. Given one of the targets of the youth strike protests was the exploitation and destruction caused by fossil fuel companies, Bella now wants her placard removed. She plans to go to the museum to collect it later this month and donate it to the Climate Museum UK instead. UKSCN London’s letter also asks for ‘a formal commitment from the Science Museum that none of these placards will ever be displayed in a fossil fuel sponsored space again.’

Bella says:

‘I was at the protest in Parliament Square with a placard that me and my friend Sophie Godbold had painted together. One of the ladies from the Science Museum approached us, and we said ‘Of course our poster can go to the Science Museum!’ She presented it as a really cool thing, that it’s going to be in an exhibition and the national archives, and I was really excited. So I handed it over and she gave me some papers to sign, but I wasn’t aware the exhibition was going to be sponsored by Shell. I was really shocked when I found out from UKSCN London. I feel let down because I thought I was being involved in something beneficial for people who were going to come to the exhibition. I’m disappointed that an institution such as the Science Museum would lie like that to the public, and I’d like the museum to come clean about how they’re actually part of the problem. Both Sophie and I would like our placard out of there as soon as possible.’

Since Shell was announced as the sponsor of the Science Museum’s ‘Our Future Planet’ exhibition on climate solutions in April, a major backlash has unfolded with scientists, exhibition contributors, Greta Thunberg and the wider public speaking out through protests, petitions and a youth-led boycott of the exhibition. Last month it was revealed by Channel 4 News, based on an investigation by Culture Unstained, that the museum had signed a ‘gagging clause’ with Shell committing not to “damage the goodwill or reputation” of Shell, despite major controversy surrounding sponsor’s climate impacts. Museum Director Ian Blatchford was also revealed as having courted a group of 12 major oil giants to sponsor the exhibition.

UKSCN London, who co-organised the massive London youth climate strikes in 2019, were shocked to discover that the museum had included placards within the Shell-sponsored exhibition from the strikes without the strike organisers’ knowledge or consent. They initially launched an open letter from the group to the Science Museum demanding that it drops Shell sponsorship, which was signed by 200 young activists, scientists, organisations and frontline groups, and then launched a boycott of the exhibition, which has logged nearly 6000 boycott pledges. In June, the museum shut down an overnight protest and 24-hour livestream broadcast led by the group. Thirty police officers entered the museum and proceeded to threaten the group of teenage activists and scientists with arrest, despite other museums such as Tate Modern and the British Museum facilitating larger overnight protests against oil sponsorship.

Izzy Warren (17) from UKSCN London, said:

‘There is no justification for the Science Museum taking a movement that was built by the energy, time and effort of young people fighting for our future and fighting against fossil fuel companies and using it to greenwash and legitimise Shell. It’s hypocritical, because they’re holding up these placards from the youth climate protests as an inspirational thing, but when the same young people come and protest at their museum they call the police to have us removed. When Ian Blatchford makes these statements saying he welcomes collaboration with oil companies in the midst of a climate crisis, there’s a disconnect between him and reality. Anything else that the museum says about wanting to become carbon neutral by 2033 or educating the public on climate is redundant and irrelevant as long as they’re still providing fossil fuel companies with a social license to operate.’

Both UKSCN London and Scientists for XR held protests during the opening week of the exhibition, with the scientists locking themselves to the Shell-sponsored exhibit for several hours. A petition started by the group BP or not BP? calling for the sponsorship to be dropped was signed by over 57,000 people. Over the August Bank Holiday weekend Extinction Rebellion held a 70-strong overnight occupation of the museum.

Shell is facing intense scrutiny over its current business plans, which allow it to continue exploring for and extracting oil and gas when the International Energy Agency - and the climate science - says that to hit the Paris target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C there can be no new investment in oil and gas exploration. Instead, Shell is relying on tree planting and unproven future technology such as carbon capture and storage as a ‘get out of jail free’ card to keep polluting. In the last few months it has faced a significant shareholder rebellion over the weakness of its climate plans, a landmark ruling from a Dutch Court that the firm must curb its emissions by 45% by 2030 to be in line with Paris targets - which Shell is appealing against, and criticism over its 30% stake in the new Cambo oil and gas field off the coast of Shetland, which the UK government is controversially considering approving in the run-up to the COP26 Climate Summit.

Full text of the letter is here.

UPDATE: Over 30 police officers force school strikers and scientists out of Science Museum in response to Shell sponsorship protest

This evening around 20 peaceful protesters - including a dozen youth climate strikers, the youngest of whom was 15 - were intimidated and threatened with arrest by over 30 police officers during a protest calling on the Museum to drop Shell sponsorship of their climate exhibition.

In a shocking and disproportionate use of power, the Science Museum made the decision to call in an excessive number of police who marched into the museum’s iconic main hall to remove the group of mostly young climate strikers and scientists.

Izzy Warren, a member of UKSCN London said:

“The Science Museum had no hesitation in kicking us, a group of young, peaceful climate strikers and scientists out with excessive numbers of police. But when people call on them to kick out a major climate criminal, they stand by them and do nothing.”

Initially the Science Museum’s security had been willing to facilitate the peaceful protest. However, at around 8.15pm they were informed that the museum had sufficient police resources to remove them and within 10 minutes the protesters were surrounded by over 30 police officers and told they would have “no hesitation in arresting [them]”. Following this, the young protesters decided to peacefully exit the Museum, singing together “whose side are you on?”, a song popularised by the Sunrise Movement.

The protesters, from UK Student Climate Network’s London group, have called a protest outside the museum at 1pm on Sunday 20th June in response.

###

Photos from the action and police eviction here

UKSCN Press Release on Science Museum occupation

Science Museum occupied overnight by young people and scientists protesting Shell sponsorship

Youth strike organisers UKSCN London and Scientists for Extinction Rebellion vow to stay 24 hours in Science Museum in protest at Shell sponsorship
24-hour livestream features speakers from around the world
Protest marks significant escalation in opposition to oil giant’s sponsorship of museum’s flagship climate exhibition

For more information, or to interview a young person or scientist currently occupying the museum, call 07858913920 or email media.ukscnlondon@gmail.com. To watch the livestream, go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQdMw1hYavXW1jpJ44OLKlA and follow @ukscn_london on Twitter for latest updates. Photos are being uploaded here: https://350org.widencollective.com/c/vhkhkbg3

More than 20 young people and scientists from UKSCN London and Scientists for Extinction Rebellion have announced they plan to occupy the Science Museum overnight, in protest at oil firm Shell’s sponsorship of its climate exhibition ‘Our Future Planet’. They have been protesting in the museum since 1pm when they set up in front of the Shell-sponsored exhibition and began a 24-hour livestream which will feature nearly 40 speakers. At 5.30pm the group moved into the iconic main hall of the museum, unfurled two massive banners with the words “Drop Shell Sponsorship” and “Stop Taking Oil Money” from a balcony above and informed museum security that they would stay throughout the night.

The young people and scientists have joined forces to “reclaim” the Science Museum from Shell sponsorship. The 24-hour livestream - a direct response to the museum’s own series of ‘climate talks’ - is instead featuring a diverse array of speakers including frontline activists from around the world, international climate campaigners and scientists, as well as contributors to the exhibition who are unhappy that they were not informed about Shell’s involvement. The full lineup can be found here. Over the course of the overnight occupation, the group will make and display new placards that protest the inclusion of placards within the Shell-sponsored exhibition from the London youth strikes in March 2019 that were put on display without the strike organisers’ knowledge or consent.

The group have smuggled sleeping bags, supplies and even a composting toilet into the museum, where they are now setting up camp. They’ve issued a call for people to join them in protest at the museum at 1pm tomorrow when they will process from the museum as their occupation ends.

Izzy Warren, a 17 year old member of UKSCN London said:

“We’ve tried to engage with the museum through letters, petitions and boycotts and they’ve repeatedly ignored us, choosing instead to continue to justify Shell’s involvement, even in light of a damning Dutch court ruling regarding Shell’s commitment to decarbonisation which said the oil company must slash their emissions if they are to be aligned with the Paris Agreement. This occupation is our way of saying that we won’t stand by and let the Science Museum greenwash Shell’s reputation.”

Abi Perrin, a microbiologist and member of XR Scientists, said:

“The Science Museum is doing important work in communicating the climate and ecological crises, but this is undermined by its partnership with Shell, a company whose activities have already had a devastating impact on our climate, ecosystems and communities. Rather than cleaning up their mess, Shell continue to pour the vast majority of their extensive resources into fossil fuels, which the science is clear will have disastrous consequences.”

Willow Coningham, 16, who has been hosting the livestream and did work experience in the museum during year 10, said:

“I adore the Science Museum - ever since I was a child I have seen it as a beacon of learning and inspiration, and through volunteering there I have seen the positive impact it has on so many children. To me, the Science Museum has always represented the future in cutting-edge innovation and invention, yet in accepting Shell sponsorship they betray that vision and betray the very children they exist to inspire and educate.”

The protesters are targeting Shell’s sponsorship of the Science Museum’s new exhibition on climate change and carbon capture, ‘Our Future Planet’, which they believe is giving the company the opportunity to present itself as embracing climate solutions, when in reality it plans to continue extracting oil and gas way beyond safe climate limits. The International Energy Agency recently said that no investment in new oil and gas is possible if global heating is to stay below 1.5C, the goal set out in the Paris Climate Agreement.

The action follows an open letter from UKSCN London to the Science Museum demanding that it drops Shell sponsorship, which was signed by 200 young activists, scientists, organisations and frontline groups and the launch of a boycott of the exhibition, which has already logged over 5800 boycott pledges. Both UKSCN and Scientists for XR held protests in the opening week of the exhibition, with the scientists locking themselves to the Shell-sponsored exhibit for several hours. A petition started by BP or not BP? and signed by over 57,000 people was also handed in to the Science Museum.

Shell is facing intense scrutiny over its current business plans, which allow it to continue exploring for and extracting oil and gas when the science says that to hit the Paris target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C there needs to be no new oil and gas exploration, and existing production needs to be nearly halved over the next decade. Instead, Shell is relying on tree planting and unproven future technology such as carbon capture and storage as a ‘get out of jail free’ card to keep polluting. In the last month it has faced both a significant shareholder rebellion over the weakness of its climate plans, and a landmark ruling from a Dutch Court that the firm must curb its emissions much further.

The museum Director Ian Blatchford responded in an internal message to staff by defending its partnership with Shell and lashing out at its critics. Pressure is now on the museum to end all its oil sponsorship deals: not only is Shell the sponsor of the current climate exhibition, but Equinor sponsors the children’s gallery and BP sponsors STEM education work. Even before the Shell sponsorship was announced, several speakers had pulled out of the museum’s series of ‘Climate Talks’ over its oil company links.