Climate activists have been staging protests against policies or projects of countries or companies that harm the environment or to spread awareness about climate change. Recently, climate protestors stormed the annual shareholder meeting of Shell in London, with security stepping in to protect the members of the board.

Around a dozen protestors sang, "Go to hell, Shell, and don't you come back no more," as they called for the company to stop producing fossil fuels, as Shell's Chief Executive Wael Sawan and Chairman Andrew Mackenzie watched.

The security had to form a human chain on stage to shield Sawan as well as the company directors after the group attempted to storm the stage.

"We have heard this point many times now," Mackenzie told the protesters. "Wouldn't it be nice to have this debate rather than saying the same thing over and over again?"

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He said Shell's investment in lower-carbon solutions which earn smaller returns than oil and gas projects shows that it is taking the climate change issue seriously.

Shell, which reported a record $40 billion profit last year, and other major hydrocarbon producers argue that they have to help cover the ever-increasing demand for oil and gas.

A Shell spokesperson said the protestors were "not interested in constructive engagement."

In other recent climate protests, activists turned the renowned Trevi Fountain in Rome black on Sunday by pouring diluted charcoal into the water. The protest was against government subsidies for fossil fuel companies

In October last year, climate activists splashed tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers in London's National Gallery to protest against fossil fuel extraction. A few days later, Just Stop Oil activists targeted the luxury car maker Aston Martin’s showroom in London. The climate campaigners spray-painted the showroom in the city's Park Lane. The videos of the protest have surfaced on social media.

With inputs from Reuters

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