A diesel-powered generator is being used to run the music stage at the Extinction Rebellion protests on Deansgate.

Organisers told the Manchester Evening News they felt “like hypocrites” but had been “forced” to use the generator because it would have been too expensive to get a solar panel made.

The protest - which has brought one of Manchester’s busiest shopping streets to a standstill to highlight the threat of climate change - is on its third day.

Graham Buss, 63, said: “We were desperate to get a solar panel specially made for the demonstrations but it would have cost us £8,000.

“That’s money we simply don’t have.

“Even if we’d been able to get a solar panel made, we would have still had to have had a diesel-powered generator as a back up.

“It’s something we really do regret having to use and we feel like hypocrites, but this is the point.

“We’re part of a system that has made it incredibly difficult to use solar panels for these sorts of events and we feel like we’ve been forced to have to use the diesel generator.

“It’s atrocious that the cost of getting a solar panel made should be so expensive.”

One of Extinction Rebellion's stage coordinators Jake Rigby, later contacted the MEN saying: "Extinction Rebellion has access to solar technology, but but transporting it from London - the only available source in this instance - would have used 60L of diesel, while the generator we are using will use 20L over the whole weekend.

“We could have tried to hide this, but our first demand is to tell the truth.

“We made the call to use a generator in this case to create an event that would inform, educate, inspire and motivate people of the North to participate in the rebellion against government inaction on species extinction and the climate crisis.”

Hundreds joined the demonstration and set up camp on Deansgate at around 8am on Friday.

And protesters say they plan to stay until at least 5pm Monday.

The road remains closed to all cars from St Mary’s Gate to John Dalton Street.

Reactions to the protest have been massively divided with many supporting protesters - or at least pleased to see people trying to highlight environmental issues and others who slammed them for disrupting traffic.

Katherine Lunney tweeted: "Rather beautiful to see the peaceful protest, passion and group singing of Extinction Rebellion on Deansgate, Manchester this morning."

Lawrence tweeted: "I see the well intentioned do nothings are complaining already in advance of the @ExtinctionR protests in Manchester tomorrow.