GB News: Extinction Rebellion labels channel a 'puppet TV station' for fossil fuels in Paul Marshall protest

Activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) have called GB News a “puppet TV station” for the fossil fuel industry, after throwing fake oil outside of the channel's main studio.

Demonstrators hurled an oil-like dark paint outside the west London building's entrance, while a second activist, donning a mask depicting the 'dark face of money', perched atop a hurriedly assembled tripod and dangling a Pinocchio-style puppet.

A group of about twelve protestors then stood in silence outside the Paddington building while office workers were diverted to a different entrance in preparation for the day's work.

XR said the protest was highlighting GB News investor Sir Paul Marshall’s links to the fossil fuel industry, and also demanding an end to what it called a “torrent of climate lies and disinformation” on the channel.

Sir Paul is chairman and chief investment officer of Marshall Wace, a hedge fund with some £45 billion under management.

Other protesters stood at the entrance holding placards depicting the faces of GB News presenters including Nigel Farage, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Richard Tice and Lee Anderson, as well as Sir Paul, with the word “extremist” written beneath each of them.

GB News said there would be “no comment”, when asked about the demonstration. It comes as three Tory MPs have been found to have broken Ofcom’s broadcasting rules on due impartiality during programmes on GB News.

The watchdog’s probe involved five episodes of shows presented separately by former House of Commons leader Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and minister without portfolio Esther McVey, and backbencher Philip Davies.

A further episode of Sir Jacob’s State Of The Nation was not investigated because it did not raise issues under the rules, according to Ofcom.

Married couple Ms McVey and Mr Davies are no longer part of the GB News line-up, and last hosted programmes on the channel last year.

The media watchdog said that because the politicians “acted as newsreaders, news interviewers or news reporters in sequences which clearly constituted news – including reporting breaking news events – without exceptional justification, news was, therefore, not presented with due impartiality”.

Ofcom also said that it is putting GB News on notice that any repeated breaches of the same rules “may result in the imposition of a statutory sanction”.