Day Six of Divestment Sit-In …

… Students accuse Uni of not doing their homework on fossil fuels

A student occupation at The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has entered its sixth day. The students are demanding that UTAS divest its $300m investment portfolio from fossil fuels as part of a nationwide campaign.

“On the advice of Stuart Barry, Senior Financial Adviser to Tas Ethical Super, we have questioned university decision-makers as to whether they are confident that their investments in fossil fuels are currently profitable.”

“We have heard nothing back from the university, it seems highly unlikely that they have given this issue the important attention that it deserves.”

“We are here to demand that the university gets of fossil fuels because it will save students’ money today and because it is the morally right thing to do.”

The student protestors have been busy attempting to communicate their goals with the Vice Chancellor Peter Rathjen and other decision makers, but so far their demands have been ignored.

“UTAS is trying to wait us out, they think we will get bored and go home; but this campaign isn’t going to end until they divest from fossil fuels.”

“We’re willing to be arrested if that’s what it takes and the safety of our climate and our planet is what drives us to be here for almost one week now.”

“We can already seeing the dangerous impacts of climate change today with the Tasmanian fire season beginning early this year.”

In a staff news bulletin the Chief Operating Officer discussed the occupation for the benefit of staff.

“We have met daily with the protest group. We are a university that has earned its place globally in fields as broad as climate change, oceanography and geology.

Irrespective of discipline, the pursuit of science, knowledge and understanding, based on evidence, is what drives us,” Said UTAS Chief Operating Officer David Clerk.

The protestors responded with a letter, hand delivered to all staff in the administration building.

“If UTAS is sincere in its pursuit of science, then it should immediately divest from the fossil fuel industry, which is causing dangerous climate change.” Said Mr Tomlinson.

“We also reject that UTAS has meet with us every day, they have not meet with us since late Thursday evening.”
Fossil Free UTAS Media Spokesperson: Alexander Tomlinson