Wimbledon gets brandalised over Barclays sponsorship deal

  • Post last modified:July 1, 2024
  • Reading time:9 mins read


Protesters have called out Barclays’ sportswashing – and asked Wimbledon why it’s batting for the fossil fuel and arms financier.

Because, far from the “strawberries and cream” image Wimbledon projects to the world, this year’s sponsor is drenched in complicity for Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the devastating impacts of the climate crisis.

Barclays brandalism action at Wimbledon

Activists started Monday 1 July with a series of brand vandalism ads across London:

Campaign group Brandalism UK engaged in a mass subvertising action. They installed hundreds of posters and billboards in ad spaces near the major Tennis stadium:

Commuters on London’s Underground and at nearby bus-stops were also met with the powerful ads:

Protest against Barclays sportswashing

Following the ad action, protesters from multiple pro-Palestine and anti-fossil fuel groups turned up to take Wimbledon to task:

They stood outside the stadium sporting Palestinian flags:

Demonstrators carried placards and banners calling for a boycott on Barclays:

Alongside its artistic ad action, activists staged further creative protest:

Barclays bankrolling genocide and the climate crisis

As the Canary has consistently reported, campaign groups like Palestine Action and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) have repeatedly targeted UK-based multinational bank Barclays. The groups have done so since Barclays has infamously maintained gargantuan investments in the arms companies facilitating Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

In particular, the Canary previously noted that:

According to a recent report by War on Want, the bank holds £1,300,688,880 in shares of companies whose weapons, components, and military technology have been used in unlawful violence against Palestinians. This includes investments in BAE Systems, Boeing and Elbit Systems,

Moreover, it provides over £3bn in loans and underwriting to nine companies whose weapons, components, and military technology have been used in Israel’s armed violence against Palestinians.

What’s more, Barclays has an ill-reputed record on everything from financing fracking and the climate-wrecking East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), to propping up union-busting corporations.

Between 2016 and the end of 2023, Barclays has poured US $235.2bn into fossil fuels. This is according to the latest ‘Banking on Climate Chaos’ report, which placed Barclays among its ‘Dirty Dozen’ – the top twelve worst banks for financing the polluting sector.

In July 2023, Just Stop Oil disrupted Wimbledon. Then too, they did so to draw attention to the Tennis stadiums sponsorship deal with the bank.

Now, climate campaigners have rallied together with Palestine protesters to serve up the truth on Barclays’ blood money. Together, they’re calling game, set, and match on Barclays’ shameless sportswashing, as Israel continues its brutal massacre, and the climate crisis rages on with the banks financial backing.

Feature image via Brandalism UK – X 





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