Protesters stormed the on-campus home of the university president of Dartmouth College, Philip Hanlon, demanding the school to divest from fossil fuel companies.
Sponsored by Divest Dartmouth, the protest brought students from different backgrounds together in what is called a "statement for the future." The demonstration was co-sponsored by 100 organizations, Greek houses and sustainability campaigns from other universities and colleges. Some of these groups include 350.org, Sierra Club and some partners from schools like Yale, Brandeis, Harvard and NYU.
One of these students, Benny Adapon, is a Filipino from Manila who survived a typhoon. He described that his countrymen are already used to "silent resignation" every time a storm visits their area but acknowledged that Dartmouth divesting from fossil fuel companies will go a long way.
"What we do here will end these unnatural calamities," he told Lebanon Valley News.
Hanlon has formed a group that will study the advantages and disadvantages such a move will cause to the university's finances, the Daily Progress reported.
This is not the first time that Dartmouth College was encouraged to severe its corporate ties with certain entities. In the 1980s, the school was notable for pulling out its investments from South Africa to protest apartheid after student demonstrations. This precedent is the very reason that students are now calling for the Dartmouth action as they believe that it is part of its "educational, moral and fiduciary responsibilities."
The New Hampshire Union Leader attacked the demonstrations in an editorial, as they believe that not investing in these types of companies would "rob" impoverished nations of an opportunity to progress. It also warned the administration of Dartmouth College that divesting from fossil fuel companies is bad economic advice and will only "satisfy an ignorant mob."
Watch a video of the demonstration in the video below.
