A climate activist was reportedly admitted to hospital after a Citibank staffer allegedly knocked him to the floor.
Footage shows the security guard standing up to the protester, who was attempting to film him.
He appears to hit the activist in the face before the protester falls backwards.
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The alleged altercation reportedly took place in the lobby of Citibank’s global headquarters in New York City, US, on Wednesday (14 Aug).
Eren Can Illeri was taken to a local hospital bleeding, according to reports.
He was allegedly hit as he took part in an action organised by the civil disobedience campaign Summer of Heat (SoH).
He and other climate activists say they had gone to question Citibank executives about the multinational’s funding of fossil fuel projects.
SoH spokesperson Alicé Nascimento said: “We have been asking Citi to meet with us for weeks to talk about what it can do to tackle the climate emergency.
“But rather than meet with us, they have sent their security guards to physically attack peaceful climate activists after weeks of intimidation and threats.”
Citibank has defended itself against the allegations.
“These activist groups have repeatedly been given many avenues to engage constructively but instead they continue to pursue acts of intimidation, trespassing and vandalism,” a Citi spokesperson told Need To Know.
“We are grateful for the assistance of the New York City Police Department and Citi’s security team in addressing this unacceptable behavior, which damages our property and disrupts our colleagues’ ability to get into their workplace.
“Our position on our work to address climate change through our financing has been clear, and is evidenced by our track record.
“We work with our clients as they decarbonize their businesses, while also meeting the energy needs of today.
“We remain committed to helping to support the growth of renewable energy and clean technology through our $1 trillion sustainable finance goal while at the same time we continue to support the transition to a low-carbon economy through our commitment to net zero by 2050.
“These activities are not mutually exclusive.”
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