Protestors gather at BBC Yorkshire to rally against scrapping over-75s free licences

-> Protest to be held outside Leeds BBC office after over 75s licence fee scrapped

The protestors held placards stating 'Don't turn us off' and 'shame on the BBC'.

Many cars passing beeped their horns in support of the 20-strong group.

The National Pensioners Convention, who organised the event, have planned protests across the country.

Gillian Martin was one of the protestors at the rally.

She said she was disgusted that just days after the D-Day celebrations, the announcement was made which would have a drastic effect on the finances of those affected.

Gillian said: "You have a choice with Sky, you have a choice with anything else.

"You don't have a choice with this, you have to pay it."

Gillian said she would dispute critics who said the protests won't make any difference.

She added: "Emmeline Pankhurst made a difference, Rosa Parks made a difference.

"We can make a difference, you can't change the world but as Mother Theresa said you can cause a pebble in the ocean and it can cause a wave."

Another protestor said she wanted more celebrities to follow the lead of Ben Fogle - who last week donated his salary to subsidise the payments.

She said: "If others just took a reduction it would help.

"What do they need their £1m plus a year for?

"They could take a small reduction in their wages to give to the poor."

A fellow protestor said despite being "one of the richest countries in the world", pensioners are losing "what little they have left".

She added: "It is a huge amount for us.

"For somebody younger you can think to put in your CV and go and get another job.

"We can't do that.

"They forget that we vote.

"Not everyone is on pension credit, quite a lot are on low money and can't afford the change."

The protesters are making a stand against the BBCs decision to means-test the TV licence for older people and the government’s decision to make the BBC pay for the concession.

They have called on pensioners, community groups, students and MPs and councillors to attend.

A spokesperson for the NPC said: "The NPC is absolutely clear – if we fail to protect this concession, the government will begin looking at the winter fuel allowance and the bus pass.

"That’s why we need as big a demonstration as possible out on the street on Friday."

On Monday, June 10 the BBC announced that the licence free for over 75s would be scrapped.

Up to 3.7 million pensioners who previously received the licence for free will now have to pay for it.

However, households with one person who receives Pension Credit will still be eligible.

The new change will come into force in June 2020, the BBC said.

There is a now a social media campaign urging people to boycott the BBC using the hashtag #BoycottTheBBC.