University of Maine students staged a climate strike at the University Mall in Orono on Friday to continue to press the University of Maine system to divest from fossil fuels.
Members of Divest University of Maine System, a student organization, want UMaine system trustees to divest roughly $14 million in assets it has invested in the fossil fuel industry. It asked trustees to divest in fossil fuels during a September meeting, and Friday’s strike continues its campaign.
Faculty and staff members joined students in Friday’s strike, according to a news release issued by the group, also known as Divest UMS. It is part of a national network of activists who are applying public pressure on universities and other institutions to take their money out of the fossil fuel industry.
Friday’s action was the final event of the Divest UMS Week of Action leading up to a trustee meeting Monday. Members of the group plan to testify during Monday’s meeting and will give the board a financial recommendation.
“The main objective of the Week of Action is to raise public awareness and support,” the group wrote in its release.
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