Hundreds of activists, some dressed as the world famous animated TV character – SpongeBob SquarePants – gathered in Paris, demanding that French bank Société Générale stop investing in shale gas and fossil fuels.

“We are going to clean,” that was the motto of the rally in front of the multinational investment bank in the heart of the French capital. “Armed” with brooms, sponges, mops, and buckets, they started to symbolically clean the walls and the surrounding area of the bank.





Les écologistes de @AnvCop21 font un sit-in devant la Société Générale pic.twitter.com/E7tKLwAYfn — Lucas Léger (@lucas_rtfrance) December 14, 2018

Un manifestant habillé en Bob l'éponge porté par les #CRS ce matin à #Parispic.twitter.com/nriEKyjM8N — Lucas Léger (@lucas_rtfrance) December 14, 2018

“Our determination is even stronger: we will clean the 150 branches of Société Générale de Paris during the day,” Lorette Philippot from the Friends of the Earth group which organized the rally, said.

The protest was held under the close eye of a large number of police officers. The capital is bracing for a new wave of massive Yellow Vests protests on Saturday, that are feared to turn violent.

Les 912 militants non violents ont gardé leur calme, leur détermination, leurs éponges et balais brosses ! Cet après midi ils veulent nettoyer les 150 agences parisiennes de la #SocieteGenerale ! #StopRioGrandeLNGpic.twitter.com/KTG8I5tXVz — Vanina Delmas (@v_delmas) December 14, 2018

Citations d'employés de la @SocieteGenerale "Moi je suis d accord avec vous. J’ai pas même 25 ans alors je suis aussi concerné.""Vous avez raison ça fait du bien une piqûre de rappel""Vous avez mis du temps à arriver" ✅16 agences /150 #NettoyageGéantpic.twitter.com/pbQn3OoGXx — ANV-COP21 (@AnvCop21) December 14, 2018

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