‘Fast for fossil fuel divestment’ update & call for postcards

On 20 July, Divest East Sussex held a four-hour vigil outside County Hall in Lewes: the culmination of a 72-hour ‘fast for fossil fuel divestment’, demanding that East Sussex County Council (ESCC) stop investing local people’s pensions in the fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis.

Clearly feeling *morally* under siege, Council Leader Keith Glazier had had the Hall sealed-off and surrounded with dozens of security guards. The police had also been notified, resulting in two officers wasting their time sitting there in a van for four hours.

All to protect the Council from the awesome threat posed by (at the vigil’s peak) seven people holding some signs, one of whom hadn’t eaten for 68 hours!

Climate fasters to hold four-hour vigil outside County Hall

Press release
Divest East Sussex [1]
Wednesday 19 July 2023
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTO: https://tinyurl.com/fossilfuelfast [CAPTION: Fossil fuel divestment fasters Gary French (left) and Gabriel Carlyle (right) in Hastings, PHOTO: Divest East Sussex]

CLIMATE FASTERS TO HOLD FOUR-HOUR VIGIL OUTSIDE COUNTY HALL ON DAY OF CRUCIAL COUNCIL MEETING
‘It’s time to stop investing in the companies driving the climate crisis’ say fasters, after world experiences hottest week ever recorded

Thursday 20 July, 9am – 12 noon, County Hall, Lewes: Climate campaigners from East Sussex and Brighton & Hove will be staging a four-hour vigil outside County Hall in Lewes tomorrow (Thursday 20 July), as the culmination of a 72-hour long ‘fast for fossil fuel divestment’. The fasters are calling on the East Sussex Pension Fund to stop investing in the giant fossil fuel companies that are driving the climate crisis. The vigil has been timed to coincide with a special meeting of the Fund’s decision-making body, the East Sussex Pension Committee, at County Hall.

Press release: Campaigners begin 72-hour ‘fast for fossil fuel divestment’ ahead of Council meeting

Press release
Divest East Sussex [1]
Monday 17 July
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTO: https://tinyurl.com/fossilfuelfast [CAPTION: Fossil fuel divestment fasters Gary French (left) and Gabriel Carlyle (right) in Hastings, PHOTO: Divest East Sussex]

CAMPAIGNERS BEGIN 72-HOUR ‘FAST FOR FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT’ AHEAD OF COUNCIL MEETING
‘It’s time to stop investing in the companies driving the climate crisis’ say fasters, after world experiences hottest week ever recorded

Monday 17 July: Campaigners from East Sussex and Brighton & Hove will begin a 72-hour long ‘fast for fossil fuel divestment’ today, calling on the East Sussex Pension Fund to stop investing in the giant fossil fuel companies that are driving the climate crisis. The fast will culminate in a four-hour vigil, 9am – 1pm, outside County Hall in Lewes this Thursday (20 July), where the Fund’s decision-making body, the East Sussex Pension Committee, will be holding a special meeting.

Fast for fossil fuel divestment: Join us at County Hall on Thursday 20 July!

Campaigners will be staging a 72-hour ‘fast for fossil fuel divestment’ in the run-up to the meeting of the East Sussex Pension Committee on Thursday 20 July.

Please join us outside County Hall in Lewes (St Anne’s Crescent, BN7 1UE) on Thursday 20 July:

– 9am – 1pm: vigil outside the Hall
– 1pm: come and break the fast with us!

If you’re interested in joining the fast (for all or part of the 72-hours) then please contact divesteastsussex@gmail.com.

Press release: Local Pension Fund urged to follow Church of England and ditch fossil fuel investments

Press release
Divest East Sussex [1]
Monday 3 July
More info: 07596 483 272

PHOTO: https://tinyurl.com/taxbigoildivest [CAPTION: Divestment campaigners outside County Hall, 21 March 2023. PHOTO: Natasa Leoni]; https://tinyurl.com/fossilfreechurchhastings  [CAPTION: Members of St John’s Eco Church group with rector David Hill, outside St John’s church in Hastings, April 2019. PHOTO: St John’s Eco Church group]

LOCAL PENSION FUND URGED TO FOLLOW CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND DITCH FOSSIL FUEL INVESTMENTS
County Council must ‘stop investing in the giant oil & gas companies driving the climate crisis’

The East Sussex Pension Fund is facing renewed calls to ditch its investments in fossil fuel companies, following a decision to do this by the Church of England last month. Over fifty members of the public, including Fund members, have submitted a question to East Sussex County Council (ESCC)’s next meeting, on 18 July. They draw the Council’s attention to the Church’s recent commitment and ask when the Fund will ‘stop providing political cover for these rogue companies and make its own public commitment to fully divest from fossil fuels’ [2].

The East Sussex Pension Fund, which covers Brighton & Hove as well as East Sussex, is administered by East Sussex County Council (ESCC). It currently has tens of millions of pounds of local people’s pension monies invested in oil and gas companies like Shell and BP [3].