Wesleyan Fossil Fuel Divest held an action directed at the board of trustees Friday evening. Students gathered in the UOC at 6pm to go over the details of the symbolic action, which would force the board of trustees to informally vote on divestment from fossil fuels.
The board, among other university administrators, were gathered in Allbritton for a naming ceremony for Wesleyan’s Jewett Center for Community Partnerships. Just as the ceremony was ending, demonstrators formed a semi-circle around the front of Allbritton with two openings, one marking a “yes” vote and the other a “no” vote. Board members gradually filtered out of Allbritton. Almost every single board member, including chairman of the board Joshua Boger ’73, walked through the “no” gap. Boger can be seen looking smug as hell here:
Mighty fancy coat he has amirite? Each time a board member walked through the “no” gap, demonstrators booed and chanted “you are failing us.” Which they kinda are, you know cause they just unanimously voted to raise tuition again ’cause “inflation.” Side note: Jackson just suggested that we pay for the tuition raise in Canada Goose jackets.
This action comes after a sit-in in Roth’s office last spring, which did not result in Fossil Fuel divestment and a rather unproductive panel with Anne Martin, the Chief Investment Officer, last semester. Also, these actions in spring 2014, fall 2014, and spring 2015.
In a press release, Julia Lejeune ’18 said about the action: “We are taking action because we have exhausted all institutional routes to access the board of trustees, yet they continuously ignore this issue and refuse to even take a vote.” See more photos of the action below:
Physics professor Brian Stewart speaking with demonstrators.
