Extinction Rebellion stunt targets London Fashion Week red carpet and 'world's biggest plastic polluter' Coca-Cola

20 February 2023, 21:01 | Updated: 21 February 2023, 08:16

Extinction Rebellion have targeted London Fashion Week, with around 30 protesters pouring 'oil' over the red carpet in a stunt targeting sponsor Coca Cola.

Labelling the drinks giant the 'world's biggest plastic polluter', the protestors dressed in white overalls poured black paint symbolising crude oil from giant Coca-Cola bottles.

Taking up position outside 180 The Strand - the location of the fashion show, protesters held up banners declaring 'Cut the ties to fossil fuels' and 'Coca-Cola: World's top plastic polluter'.

Meanwhile, others could be seen parading up and down the catwalk with other eco-protestors setting off smoke bombs around them.

The stunt saw the group of eco-zealots demand the drinks giant be dropped as a sponsor of London Fashion Week and formed part of Extinction Rebellion's 'Cut The Ties to Fossil Fuels' campaign.

It's an event which is set to culminate in a organised protest attracting more than 100,000 people outside the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, on April 21.

Marijn van de Geer, a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, said: "Coca-Cola are an evil company that holds a lot of responsibility for the destruction of biodiversity and of our planet. They are a major plastic polluter.

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"London Fashion week should be ashamed of having them as a sponsor. They should not be helping Coca-Cola's image. They are doing a lot of harm and it needs to stop."

The eco-group's latest campaign targets major corporations who continue to use of fossil fuels to power factories which create the plastics used in its products.

Ms van de Geer continued: "Governments are not listening to protesters like ourselves. It’s absolutely devastating. When we started in 2018 we didn't think we would have to be here five years later. 

"We’re very close and teetering on the edge of a climate change catastrophe and we should all be terrified. But we have to let that fear move us into action rather than apathy of feeling overwhelmed."

Coca-Cola has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions, reducing it's output by 25 per cent by 2030.

The drinks giant added it continues to pledge it will collect and recycling "a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030".