Harvard University Heat Week for fossil fuel divestment, 2015
As part of a multi-year student-led campaign for the university to divest its endowment from fossil fuels, Heat Week was a week-long series of protests led by Divest Harvard in April 2015, with at least 8 protest actions. Activists demanded divestment of the university's endowment and opposed the appointment of a former oil executive as the new University Chief Finanical Officer. On April 12, over 150 people blockaded Massachusetts Hall, where they hung banners around the building and pitched tarps and tents for a week of sleeping outside. Also on April 12, alumni supporters occupied the Harvard Alumni Association for two days. For the closing rally in the Science Center plaza, activists and Harvard professors spoke to hundreds of demonstrators, who chanted and sang protest songs. Following the rally, they marched through Harvard Yard along with participants in divestment campaigns at MIT, Tufts, Brandeis, and Boston College. The university leadership repeatedly offered to meet with students yet refused to divest.
| Number of protests in this campaign | approx. 8 | Student newspaper coverage | 3 newspapers 21 articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total participants | at least 269 across 5 events with known size | Largest recorded event | 100 participants Cambridge, MA, USA · Apr 12, 2015 |
| Participating schools | Participating locations | Cambridge, MA, USA (8) | |
| Top issues | University administration (non-racial issues) (8) Environmental issues (8) | ||