Thank you so much for your support for Divest Hackney and the campaign to stop Hackney Council from investing millions in climate destruction. 

Thanks to everything you've done, Hackney Council is now reconsidering their responsible investment policy with a decision expected in 2022.  We'll send you updates on that work next month but first wanted to let you know about another shocking investment Hackney is making.

Not only has Hackney invested almost £35m in fossil fuels, Hackney Council invests in companies complicit in human rights abuses in Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Hackney Council Pension Fund invests in Elbit, Israel's largest arms manufacturer, and in Caterpillar, which produces the bulldozers used to demolish homes, schools, waterpipes and other key infrastructure, in order to make way for settlements. The Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign has a 75,000 strong petition demanding that Hackney Council divests from companies that support the occupation of Palestine. We support this cause.

On Thursday, September 30th, Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign will hold a rally outside the Hackney Council Pensions Committee to call for the Council to divest from these companies complicit in human rights violations. Please join us as we stand with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside the Hackney pensions committee meeting at 6pm on Thursday.

The rally outside Hackney Town Hall will demand Hackney stop investing in companies that support Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land. The demo is on the same night as the Pension Committee are meeting and councillors will hear from Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign about the situation in Israel/Palestine and why they need to take action. Divest Hackney, Extinction Rebellion Hackney and Hackney Unison will speak at the rally and will come out to support the push for Hackney Council to divest from companies complicit in environmental destruction and human rights violations.

Divest Hackney is now working with a number of groups concerned about the investment practices of Hackney Council. We've heard that scheme members are becoming increasingly aware and concerned that their pension funds continue to support climate change and human rights abuses. Some have recently even withdrawn from the scheme itself on principle because of these practices - but the Pensions Committee isn't listening. Hackney Council must urgently reconsider their investment policy and involve actual members in deciding where their pension money goes.

Join us on Thursday night at 6pm outside Hackney Town Hall to demand divestment from climate change and human rights abuses. 

With less than two months to go until the crucial climate talks in Glasgow, now is the time for Hackney Council to finally cut the ties with oil, coal and gas companies. But all of our fights are connected. On Thursday, we'll stand in solidarity with the Hackney Palestine Solidarity Campaign to demand Hackney's new investment policies cover clear cases of human rights abuse.

There is simply no excuse for our borough to continue to fund climate destruction and human rigths violations. 

Join us on Thursday and the weeks ahead as we put even more pressure on Hackney to face up to the climate crisis, its ties to human rights abuse and divest.  

Best

Gabriel, on behalf of Divest Hackney