5 Arrested In NYC Climate Protest Blockade Outside Citi HQ: NYPD

NEW YORK CITY — Five protesters were arrested during a climate change demonstration that blockaded mega-bank Citi's Lower Manhattan headquarters, police said.

Dozens of protesters Thursday morning blocked entrances to the 388 Greenwich St. building, near Moore Street, in an effort to get the bank from investing in fossil fuels, according to videos and photos.

The crowd, their banners and a mocked-up "oil pipeline spill" blocked scores of Citi employees from entering their offices, the photos and video shared on Twitter show.

"Shut it down," the protesters chanted.

Police eventually arrested five protesters about 9:40 a.m., although it was unclear what they'd be charged with, NYPD officials told Patch.

Several groups, including New York Communities For Change and Extinction Rebellion, participated in the protest, according to Protest NYC and other Twitter posts.

Climate organizers argued Citi since 2016 had invested hundreds of billions into fossil fuels, a key driver of human-caused climate change.

"Citi, we won't stop coming back until you quit fueling the fire," tweeted the Youth Climate Finance Alliance.

The demonstration unfolded as Hurricane Lee — a monster Atlantic storm whose rapid intensification could be a harbinger of what rising ocean temperatures will bring — barreled toward New England. It also happened days after torrential rains likely driven by climate change caused massive flooding in Libya that killed thousands of people.