Demonstrations took place outside six North East council buildings as protesters called for a pension fund scheme that looks after thousands of the region's public sector workers to stop investing in fossil fuels.
A total of £238 million is invested in oil, gas and coal by the Tyne and Wear Pension fund, with £181 million of that coming from six North East councils: Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, Sunderland and South Tyneside. And now, concerned campaigners have staged rallies at buildings of each council in an attempt to see a switch to funds linked to green jobs and sustainable services.
The rallies are part of the UK Day of Action on divestment and come just days after the UN said "greater urgency" is needed to secure a "liveable future". All six of the councils where protests took place have declared a climate emergency, with each making public commitments on carbon emission reductions.
