The Action

Citibank has used false allegations to obtain an unconstitutional restraining order that prevents two activists, John Mark Rozendaal and Alec Connon, from returning to Citibank’s HQ where they have been peacefully protesting Citi’s financing of fossil fuels regularly for the past two months. If they return to Citi’s HQ they could be charged with criminal contempt―which carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in jail.

On Thursday, August 8th, John Mark Rozendaal will defy Citi’s attempt to silence peaceful protest by playing a live cello performance in the public plaza outside Citi’s HQ. The performance is called A Plea for our Future and will feature John Mark performing Bach’s Suites for ‘Cello. John Mark will be joined by Alec at the performance.

John Mark, a 63-year-old grandfather, is an accomplished cellist who has played in orchestras and venues across the globe. Until recently, he was an adjunct instructor in the music department at Princeton University, a position he left in order to focus full-time on peaceful protest to address the climate crisis. 

Please join us for this one-of-a-kind performance. We invite you to dress in business casual to observe the performance. 

This action is being supported by Extinction Rebellion NYC, Stop the Money Pipeline, Climate Defenders, New York Communities for Change, and Planet over Profit.

How We Got Here

Since June 10, more than 450 people have been arrested for engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience at Citibank’s global headquarters, demanding an end to financing for fossil fuels. In response, Citi has started to target key leaders and activists in the campaign with fabricated, trumped up charges. 

Citi has had the executive directors and founders of 3 of the 4 leading organisations behind the campaign arrested and hit with trumped-up charges in the past two weeks. One of the activists being hit with false charges is John Mark Rozendaal, a 63-year-old grandfather, professional cellist, lifelong pacifist and recently retired instructor of music at Princeton University.  

Along with the executive director of Stop the Money Pipeline, Alec Connon, John Mark was falsely accused of assault by Citibank’s security and intelligence services. Citi used this false allegation to request a restraining order on John Mark and Alec which means that they cannot return to Citi’s HQ, or else they will face a criminal contempt charge that carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in jail. 

In response to Citi’s attempts to silence nonviolent, peaceful protest, the Center for International Environmental Law wrote that, “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. Such measures not only threaten democratic freedoms and hinder crucial advocacy against environmental racism, but most importantly undermine efforts to challenge the financial underpinnings of the climate crisis.”

The global NGO ActionAid, a federation that works with 41 million people across 7 countries stated, “We urge Citibank to cease these oppressive measures and respect the rights of activists dedicated to nonviolent protest against the funding of the climate-destructive fossil fuel industry.”

About the upcoming cello performance and action John Mark said, “I will arrive at Citibank’s global headquarters with my cello and perform Bach’s Suites for ‘Cello. The performance will be entitled Please for our Future. I do not know what will happen when we challenge Citi’s attempts to silence us. We may be arrested. We may go to jail. But I do know what will happen if people do not take a stand against the fossil fuel companies and the banks financing them. I hope you will join us next week as we stand up for all life on earth and stand against Citi’s financing of fossil fuels and crackdown on peaceful climate activists.”

We invite you to join us on Thursday, August 8th for this one-of-a-kind performance.