Sussex: Christian climate protesters interrupt live BBC broadcast

The climate protesters held signs and made speeches interrupting the live broadcast

Protesters interrupted a BBC broadcast over a diocese's fossil fuel ties.

The BBC Radio 3 Evensong at Chichester Cathedral on 29 November was disrupted by activists holding "Chichester Diocese funds climate chaos" signs.

One of the protesters, Reverend Hilary Bond, said she took issue with its investment in fossil fuels, when most dioceses had divested.

A diocese spokesman said: "We remain committed to working towards a future which does not depend on fossil fuels."

He added they would only invest in companies that "have a clear strategy aligned with the Paris Agreement goal".

In 2018, the Church of England's general synod passed a motion which set out a five year strategy to invest in climate solutions and divest from companies not aligned with the Paris Agreement.

Since then, many dioceses have decided to divest altogether.

Chichester Cathedral has said it is an independent charity from the diocese and that the cathedral itself holds no investment in oil, gas or coal companies.

A diocese in an area of land under the charge of a bishop.

High profile

The activists, who were mostly members of Christian Climate Action, stood up in the service and held up signs, before reading out a statement, then praying.

Mrs Bond, who held a banner, said that while the protest was at the cathedral, it was not the target of their message.

She told BBC Radio Sussex she hoped that through the "high profile" nature of interrupting a broadcast at the cathedral "the diocese will get the message we want to send them: that investing in fossil fuels is just not okay these days."

Mrs Bond added: "There are loads of other great ethical places they could put their money that would be part of bringing far more life to the planet."

A spokesman for the diocese said they shared the concern of the protesters and "acknowledge that achieving freedom from fossil fuels depends on the urgent need to develop alternative energy supplies and reduce the demand for energy."

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