Environment: Europe’s largest insurance brokers conference confronted with climate protests

Without this insurance fossil fuel companies would not be able to continue polluting our planet. Sheffield was represented by the 5 Rivers Rising Samba Fusion band whose loud beats were a constant reminder to delegates that it is their duty to act now on the climate emergency.

The day of action was organised as part of Extinction Rebellion’s Insure Our Survival campaign.

Delegates arrived to witness images of ordinary people in their flooded homes. Flooding is a major symptom of climate breakdown. Companies at the BIBA conference are brokering insurance for companies that cause it. Chalkings on the pavements highlighted areas which recently experienced flooding.

The creative disruption began with the arrival of a life-sized model of a “Shamborghini” sports car, made to look as if it was sinking in flood waters, to highlight the danger of extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis. The car became a Karaoke booth where activists sang songs like Why does it always rain on me?

Activists enacted three court cases, where the CEOs of Insurance companies were put on trial and found guilty by the jury. Others dressed as zombies performed the Michael Jackson Killer dance symbolising how insurance companies are dealing in death and destruction by insuring new fossil fuel projects.

The most moving item was hearing the testimonies of flood victims from all over the world. There was a minute's silence to remember them.

An Extinction Rebellion performance group made a human oil slick. Dressed completely in black with huge wings that spread out and combine, Oil Slickers raised eyebrows as they paraded around the city centre, stopping occasionally to form a montage.

There are 33 British insurance companies active in large fossil fuel projects and five companies have invested $6.5 billion. Last month campaigners in Manchester celebrated the decision by Chubb to rule out backing the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), showing that protest does work. Protest doesn’t have to be marching and shouting. Creative protests like this are more likely to get the message across.