Approximately 40 protesters stormed Massachusetts Hall this morning, the location of Harvard President Drew G. Faust’s office.
They are demanding that the university “divest from fossil fuels.”
By early this afternoon, President Faust agreed to meet with the protesters if they would vacate the hall; however, student Canyon S. Woodward of the group Divest Harvard said “we’re no longer settling for a meeting—we have to take action now.”
To stage their protest, the group of students walked through three sets of doors to enter the hallway outside of the offices of Faust, Provost Alan M. Garber ’76, and other officials Thursday morning. After entering, the protesters put up a banner advocating for divestment in the hallway. By 10:10 a.m., Harvard University Police officers had arrived at Mass. Hall.
The 40 students executed their plan, which [Canyon] Woodward said has been in the works since last fall, by all walking in through the final locked door behind an administrator at once. Woodward would not disclose how long the students planned to sit-in in Mass Hall, but said they had secured the bathroom.
In his email, [Faust spokesman Jeff] Neal wrote that although the University respects the opposing viewpoint of the activists with respect to divestment, “we are deeply disappointed” in the activists’ choice to occupy Mass. Hall. “Such tactics cross the line from persuasion to disrespectful and coercive interference with the activities of others,” he wrote.
According to Divest Harvard’s Talia K. Rothstein, the group doesn’t plan to vacate the hall anytime soon.
The demonstration takes place just prior to Global Divestment Day, on which activists everywhere will plead for a divestment from fossil fuels.
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