Students across the UK today took part in Global Divestment Day, protesting university’s investment in the fossil fuel industry.
UK universities invest an estimated £5.2 billion in fossil fuels. It’s time to ditch this technology of the past and start re-investing in a liveable future. In just a year and a half the divestment movement has spread to nearly 60 campuses across the UK, engaged over 25,000 students, and looks set to gain even more victories over the coming months.
Today and tomorrow, rallies and protests are taking place at at least 22 UK universities, including Edinburgh, Warwick, Leeds and Manchester, joining a global movement in 48 countries spanning 6 continents!
Here’s a look at some of what happened today hour-by-hour:
10 a.m. University of Lancaster
Students at the University of Lancaster were out on campus cleaning up the university’s investments.
11 a.m. Cardiff University
Students at Cardiff University dropped a banner from the Student’s Union building.
11.30am London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine // University College London // University of London SOAS // London School of Economics and Political Science // King’s College London
Students from five London universities marched between campuses with majestic wind turbines (“the solution”) as well as lugging behind a large cumbersome oil rig (“the problem”) and stopped off at each campus on route to enact this marvelous evidence based tale. The play brought to life an evidence-based fairytale centered on the conflicted university provost trapped in a tug of war; being earnestly pulled in the direction of compelling environmental science only to then be manipulatively yanked back by the nefarious forces of business as usual.
12 noon: University of Edinburgh
Students congregated in Bristo Square at the heart of Edinburgh University for a rally.
12 noon: University of Sheffield
Students at Sheffield played a game to ‘save the polar bear’ from evil Shell.
12 noon: University of Glasgow
Students at Glasgow told the uni to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in cake, by holding a bake sale on campus!
12 noon: University of Leeds
Student at the University of Leeds popped carbon bubbles and hung a banner at different locations across campus.
12 noon: University of Manchester
At Manchester, students held a rally with a giant banner and placards, and collected signatures for their petition from passers-by.
1 p.m. University of Aberdeen
Students in Abderdeen handed in their 1000+ stong petition to the university dressed in Fossil Free capes 🙂
1 p.m. Nottingham University
Students in Nottingham had a fake oil spill complete with fancy dress!
2 p.m. University of East Anglia
Students in Norwich built a fake oil rig inside their Student’s Union!
3 p.m. University of Sussex
Students in Brighton had a critical mass bike-ride and rally on campus – despite the rain! – and handed in their petition to the university Vice Chancellor.
3 p.m. Warwick University
Students in Coventry held a rally on campus and submitted a letter to the university signed by 100 members of staff, calling on the university to divest!
What an amazing day — with more to come tomorrow!