Protesters from Extinction Rebellion climbed onto the roof of East Sussex County Council’s County Hall in Lewes demanding that East Sussex Pension Fund change their investments.
XR protester Mark Engineer, 50, said: “This is just the start.
XR protesters on the roof of County Hall (Image: XR)
“There’s more to come if we don’t see meaningful action. We’ll continue to take non-violent direct action against ESCC until they do the right thing and divest.
“If the council is really serious, divestment is the only serious option. If it decides to divest it would be a potential game changer.”
Currently protesters from XR and Divest East Sussex say that the council’s pension fund holds over £28 million in fossil fuel investments.
The council declared a climate emergency in 2019.
This morning protesters climbed on to County Hall, set off flares and unfurled a banner reading “which side are you on? Fossil fuels or climate action?”
XR protesters campaigning in front of the video (Image: XR)
The protesters also unveiled an “oil monster” puppet and chanted with placards and posters.
Divest East Sussex protester Gabriel Carlyle, 50, said: “Two years ago, I and other members of Divest East Sussex went on hunger strike over the county council’s continued refusal to divest.
“At that time, Britain was having its hottest day since records began. The mercury was touching 40 degrees. You couldn’t ask for a clearer warning sign – and yet two years later, here we are again.
“We have written to councillors. We’ve asked to meet with them. We’ve peacefully protested again and again.
“We’ve lobbied, we’ve pleaded, we’ve begged. None of it has worked. So we’ve decided to be less polite.”
The East Sussex Pension Fund, which manages public sector pensions in Brighton and Hove as well as East Sussex, is administered by the county council. It currently has tens of millions of pounds of local people’s pension monies invested in oil and gas companies like Shell and BP. The fund’s investments in fossil fuel companies have been the focus of campaigning for over ten years now.
A long list of organisations and individuals have called on the Fund to divest from fossil fuels, including: Bexhill Town Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Hastings Borough Council, Lewes District and Town Councils, Peacehaven Town Council, Rother District Council and Saleshurst & Robertsbridge Parish Council.
East Sussex County Council was approached for comment.
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