The College Fix

Another day in the divestment wars

Students at Yale staged a large walkout at that university this week, protesting against climate change and demanding that Yale cease holding investments in fossil fuels.

The walkout was “coordinated by a coalition of campus environmentalist groups,” The Yale Daily News reports.  The demonstration comes closely on the heels of a globally coordinated series of student protests and walkouts against climate change more generally.

Yale is among the many universities with a prominent divestment campaign on its campus. Numerous schools across the country in recent years have seen students demanding an end to fossil fuel investments, though those movements have mostly failed to accomplish that.

One participant in the Yale protests estimated upwards of 1,500 people in attendance. A Facebook page of the event indicated that 555 people intended to appear at it.

From the report:

[S]peakers from several groups led the large crowd through chants, songs and demands, inspiring snaps and cheers from more protestors on the grass.

Peter Steinmann ’22 delivered the groups’ requests to the audience.

“Disclose all investments in Puerto Rican debt,” Steinmann said. “Instruct fund managers with investments in Puerto Rican debt to cancel that debt.”

He then demanded that Yale “disclose and divest” all holdings it has in fossil fuel companies, adding that the University profits from “climate destruction and the continued exploitation of Puerto Rico.” Steinmann joined his peers in demanding the University invest in “our future and in our city.”

Protesters also “encourage[d] attendees to refrain from donating to Yale until their demands are met.” The pledge to refrain from donations purportedly topped 1,000 by Wednesday night.

MORE: High-profile universities reject efforts to divest from fossil fuels

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