Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Extinction Rebellion protested at 3 BNP Paribas Fortis branches in Antwerp, Knokke, and Ghent, denouncing $12B fossil fuel funding in 2023 and links to Israeli arms company Elbit Systems.
As VRT News reported, Extinction Rebellion organised protests at 3 branches of BNP Paribas Fortis in Antwerp on Friday, Aug 29, 2025. Demonstrators gathered at the offices on Meir, Londenstraat, and Amerikalei at five minutes past twelve.
The Antwerp protest was part of a larger mobilisation that also included the cities of Knokke and Ghent, where the bank was called out for financing fossil fuel projects and the global arms trade generally.
What is Extinction Rebellion demanding from BNP Paribas Fortis on climate and human rights?
Extinction Rebellion announced that BNP Paribas Fortis is also responsible for funding the arms industry. The activists were citing bank loans granted to Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence firm selling weapons employed in Palestinian military attacks.
They pointed to a recent United Nations report that named BNP Paribas as complicit in human rights violations. The report mentioned the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and civilian lives as consequences of the company’s financial support for the defence sector.
“Through initiatives like FairFin’s BankWizer, customers can check how sustainably and socially responsible their bank operates. Switching to an ethical bank is an act of resistance. It’s a concrete way for citizens to exercise their power,”
the action group states.
With this campaign, Extinction Rebellion urged consumers and businesses to make deliberate choices for ethical banking. The group said financial institutions must end support for fossil fuels and break ties with companies linked to armed conflicts.
Police arrived at the protest sites in Antwerp and carried out identity checks on the demonstrators. All participants received administrative fines for taking part in an unauthorised protest. The activist movement announced that it will continue its actions until BNP Paribas changes its investment policies to comply with international standards on climate and human rights.
According to figures cited by the activist group, BNP Paribas invested around $12B in fossil fuel projects in 2023. The amount included controversial developments in the Arctic, which is considered a highly vulnerable region. Activists stated that these investments undermine the Paris Climate Agreement and prolong dependence on oil and gas.
They also said that while the bank promotes its role in renewable energy, the larger part of its financing still goes to fossil fuels. Extinction Rebellion announced that its campaign against the bank will continue until its financial practices follow international climate agreements.
Extinction Rebellion began targeting BNP Paribas Fortis in Belgium on 15 March 2025, when activists held a protest at the Meir branch in Antwerp, accusing the bank of funding fossil fuel projects and arms manufacturers.
The campaign spread to other cities in the following months, with actions in Bruges and Ghent using die-ins and street theatre to highlight the issues. On 22 August 2025, Ghent saw another large demonstration, where activists again demanded that the bank stop financing oil, gas, and weapons linked to conflicts.
