A peaceful protest against Citibank’s financing of fossil fuel projects took a disturbing turn when 63-year-old climate activist and professional cellist John Mark Rozendaal was arrested in New York City. Rozendaal, a grandfather and long-time member of Extinction Rebellion, was performing Bach’s “Suites for Cello” outside Citibank’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan as part of a broader “Summer of Heat on Wall Street” campaign. His arrest, along with 14 other protesters, has ignited widespread outrage among climate activists and human rights advocates, who see this as yet another attempt to suppress dissent in the face of escalating climate crises.
Citibank has long been targeted by climate activists for its role as the world’s leading financier of fossil fuel expansion, with over $330 billion funneled into fossil fuel projects over the past decade. Despite mounting evidence of the catastrophic impacts of climate change, Citibank has continued to support companies engaged in oil, gas, and coal projects. Rozendaal’s peaceful protest was part of an ongoing effort to pressure the bank to end its financing of these destructive industries.
Rozendaal’s arrest was particularly shocking given the circumstances. A month prior, a Citibank security guard obtained a restraining order against Rozendaal and Stop the Money Pipeline director Alec Connon, claiming he was assaulted during a protest when he hit his head on a plastic pipe used by activists to block an entrance. This restraining order, which many activists view as an unconstitutional attempt to silence dissent, was violated by Rozendaal when he returned to Citibank’s headquarters to perform his cello protest.
“Over the last decade, Citibank has been the world’s number one funder of fossil fuel expansion,” Rozendaal said before his arrest. “Yet rather than doing something about its role in the climate crisis, Citi is choosing instead to target climate activists with false charges and unwarranted arrests.”
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from a wide range of organizations and public figures. New York City Councilwoman Sandy Nurse condemned the action, stating, “It’s alarming that Citibank is resorting to scare tactics to intimidate climate activists who are simply trying to get the bank to stop financing the fossil fuel industry that is killing our planet and polluting our communities.”
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, also weighed in, expressing deep concern over the use of restraining orders to suppress lawful demonstrations. “The use of vague restraining orders to keep protesters away from Citi’s New York headquarters represents a troubling effort to suppress these lawful demonstrations and mute advocacy for a just and sustainable world,” the organization said in a statement. CIEL emphasized that such measures threaten democratic freedoms and undermine crucial efforts to challenge the financial underpinnings of the climate crisis.
Rozendaal’s arrest is just one incident in a broader pattern of escalating crackdowns on climate activism. Since the Summer of Heat campaign began, over 475 activists have been arrested during protests at Citibank’s headquarters. These activists, including scientists, faith leaders, elders, students, and parents, have repeatedly called on Citibank to stop financing fossil fuels and to invest instead in renewable energy projects. Yet, despite the peaceful nature of these protests, law enforcement’s response has become increasingly aggressive.
NYPD Assistant Chief James McCarthy, who has overseen numerous arrests at Citibank protests, dismissed claims of targeted harassment, stating that the arrests were simply about maintaining order. “We’re there every day, we arrest people, and nothing happens,” McCarthy said. However, the frequency of these arrests and the severity of the charges against key organizers suggest a concerted effort to intimidate and suppress the movement.
This pattern of repression is not unique to New York. Across the United States and around the world, governments are increasingly resorting to legal and extralegal measures to silence climate activists. In some cases, these crackdowns have been severe, with activists facing long prison sentences, violence, and even death for their efforts to protect the planet.
Despite these challenges, the Summer of Heat campaign shows no signs of slowing down. Next week, immigration rights groups are planning to lead a “Migrants Grieve and Rage Against Climate Destruction” day of action outside Citibank’s headquarters. Organizers remain committed to their demands: ending all financing for fossil fuel projects, increasing investment in renewable energy, and holding corporations accountable for their role in the climate crisis.
As the campaign continues, activists like Rozendaal are determined to press on, despite the risks. “We’re going to Citibank not with the intention of breaking the law,” Rozendaal said before his arrest. “We’re going there with the intention of defying Citibank’s intent to intimidate us.”
In a final statement, Councilwoman Sandy Nurse said: “Citi should stop targeting activists and focus instead on ending its support for fossil fuels. Our planet cannot afford their inaction.”
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