In pictures: giant Greenpeace polar bear strides through London

Her name is Aurora and she’s the biggest polar bear in the world, standing 5 metres tall, 2.5 metres wide and 12.5 metres long. OK, she’s not real, but big crowds gathered as she marched through Central London on Sunday.

Constructed by campaign group Greenpeace, the stunt is aimed at oil giant Shell, which continues to look for ways to drill for oil in the vulnerable Arctic. Six Greenpeace activists scaled the Shard, Europe’s tallest building, in July, in protest against the firm.

Only one of the climbers – Alison Garrigan, 27 – was charged following the stunt, but Shell placed an injunction on Greenpeace, which if observed, would prevent the campaign group from protesting on Shell premises. However, Aurora, who is the size of a double decker bus and whose roar comes courtesy of Portishead singer Beth Gibbons, broke the injunction (which Greenpeace described as “draconian“) as she marched through the capital, and right outside Shell’s HQ, alongside campaigners on Sunday.

Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said, “By creating a symbolic breach in the questionable ‘legal shield’ erected by Shell, we want to send a strong signal to the company and other oil giants that our 3m strong movement will not be easily stopped.”

“Today, tens of thousands of people around the world have taken to the streets in the biggest ever global protest against Arctic drilling, showing their determination to stop companies like Shell from playing dangerous games with the fragile Arctic.”

Further reading:

Greenpeace climbers conquer Shard in an effort to save the Arctic

Divestment might be more effective than climbing a building

‘Corporate carve up’ for Arctic oil is putting region at severe risk, say MPs

Environmentalism: does active mean effective?

The Guide to Climate Change 2013