Activists from Amnesty International UK, Fossil Free London, and the Justice 4 Nigeria coalition staged a striking demonstration outside Shell’s global HQ in London today, calling for accountability over decades of oil pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.
Coinciding with Shell’s AGM—held at a Heathrow hotel under heavy legal protections against protesters—the action used powerful visuals to highlight the lasting environmental damage linked to the energy giant’s operations.
Campaigners in suits emblazoned with a flaming Shell logo poured fake oil onto a giant map of the Niger Delta. Seated protesters, wearing T-shirts reading “Decades of Oil Spills”, “Polluted Waters”, and “Devastated Communities”, represented those whose lives have been severely impacted by Shell’s operations. A striking red location pin declared: “It’s Hell in the Niger Delta”, while banners demanded: “Shell: Own up, Clean up, Pay up.”
The protest drew strong media interest and public attention during the busy morning commute as Shell staff arrived for work.
Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta have led to severe pollution of water, soil, and air, affecting the health and livelihoods of millions. Despite billions in profits and repeated court rulings, Shell has failed to adequately clean up the region or compensate those affected. Just this year, over 13,500 residents from Ogale and Bille filed claims against Shell in the UK High Court.
Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s Business and Human Rights Director, said:
“Today’s protest was a stark reminder that Shell cannot simply wash its hands of decades of environmental devastation. Communities in the Niger Delta have suffered catastrophic harm – contaminated water, poisoned land, and shattered livelihoods – while Shell continues to make billions in profit.
“The frustration and anger on display this morning reflect a wider truth: Shell must be held to account. It cannot walk away. The company must clean up its toxic legacy and provide full compensation to those whose lives it has wrecked.”
Lazarus Tamana, Justice 4 Nigeria coalition co-founder, said:
“Shell still refuses to clean up and pay up after so many years of Niger Delta people highlighting the damage Shell has caused. How is it still necessary for us to be here and call on Shell to clean up its mess? They have devastated our water, land, health and livelihoods and we continue to fight for justice.
Shell admitted liability for their oil pollution in 2014, yet the Bodo community has had to drag Shell back to the courts here in London, just to get them to clean up. They must be held to account and compensate all affected communities.”
Robin Wells, Director of Fossil Free London, said:
“Year after year we have hit the front pages or millions of social media views holding Shell to account at their AGM, and we are sick to the back teeth. We’re not only sick of the devastation they cause, but we are sick of a system which rewards them handsomely for tearing down these fragile ecosystems that keep us all alive.
Communities in the Niger Delta were some of the first to bear the brunt and we stand in solidarity with them as they fight for justice, but, make no mistake, like a Mexican wave of disaster, soon this climate meltdown will impact every single one of us.”
Shell must not be allowed to walk away from its liabilities for the environmental destruction it has caused. Niger Delta communities will continue to demand full clean-up and compensation for the decades of harm that Shell has inflicted.
