Boat Race disrupted by protesters demanding Oxford and Cambridge divest from fossil fuels

Demonstrators say divestment would highlight ‘moral unacceptability’ of high carbon fuel extraction

Student environmental activists interrupted this year’s Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race to protest against both universities’ investment in fossil fuel companies.

Letting off orange flares on Hammersmith Bridge, the demonstrators dropped a 10m banner reading “Oxbridge Divest” during the men’s race.

The stunt caused temporary confusion as revellers’ views were blocked, but the race itself was not disrupted.

Cambridge were in the lead as they passed beneath the bridge, and they went on to win the race.

Around 25 student climate campaigners from Oxford and Cambridge were allegedly involved in the protests, quickly dispersing from the scene afterwards.

Their actions were the latest in a long-running campaign against fossil fuel investment. They claim the aim of divestment is to highlight the "moral unacceptability of further fossil fuel exploration and extraction”.

✕

Oxford v Cambridge: The Boat Race in numbers

It is estimated that around 6 per cent of Cambridge’s £6.3bn university endowment is invested in fossil fuels.

Calls for divestment have increased since the Panama Papers revealed both universities had invested tens of millions of pounds in a joint venture to develop oil exploration and deep-sea drilling operations.

Over a quarter of British higher education institutions have already divested from fossil fuels, with the University of Glasgow becoming the first university in Europe to take such action in 2014.

Recent universities pledging to divest have included Durham, Bristol and Cardiff.

Julia Peck, member of Oxford Climate Justice Campaign, said the Oxbridge campaigns “imagine two universities investing in a sustainable future; such a future simply cannot involve fossil fuels – for the good of both people and planet".

Cambridge University has previously said they have negligible exposure to fossil fuel industries while Oxford said it had “very low exposure to the broader energy sector”.