additional updates
69 Are Cited by UPenn for Occupying Building as Fossil Free Penn Ends 4-Day Sit-in
April 3, 2017
Contact: Megan Kyne or Peter Thacher, Fossil Free Penn// (724)-421-7669//[email protected], (314)-602-2408//[email protected]
Philadelphia, PA-At 5:00pm on Thursday March 30th, the fourth day of Fossil Free Penn’s sit-in for fossil fuel divestment at the University of Pennsylvania, 130 students joined together in College Hall. 69 students stayed past College Hall’s 6:00pm closing time and received citations, with disciplinary actions pending.
After opting to receive these citations, students marched out. With the mobilization of over 200 students over the course of four days, from March 27th through March 30th, Fossil Free Penn ended its sit-in.
“While the sit in is over, our fight for climate justice and fossil fuel divestment is not” stated College Senior Peter Thacher.
The administration proved unwilling to move on Fossil Free Penn’s demands which were:
After allowing students to sleep in College Hall without repercussion Tuesday night, on Wednesday citations were given to 13 students who chose to stay past the building’s 6:00pm closing time. On Thursday morning, administrators informed representatives of Fossil Free Penn that they were no longer willing to negotiate with the organization as a result of the rule violations.
By 5:00pm Thursday March 30th 130 students had joined Fossil Free Penn in College Hall, and 69 opted to receive citations that night.
“We proved that the student voice is strong and cannot be suppressed; and if the Board of Trustees continues to act complacently, we are willing to take action once again,” said Wharton freshman Megan Kyne.
Leaving the building at 7:00pm Thursday night, Fossil Free Penn left a letter with the administration outlining three demands that must be met by September 2017. These include divestment from companies involved in coal and tar sands, the creation of an interdisciplinary task force that includes members of Fossil Free Penn to implement climate solutions, and the public release of the analysis that had been used by the Trustees to reject divestment in September 2016.
This action came after years of campaigning including a February 2015 undergraduate referendum where 87.8% favored fossil fuel divestment, a faculty letter of support with 130 signatories and an alumni petition that counts 315 signatures including Noam Chomsky ‘55. A 48-page researched proposal for fossil fuel divestment was presented to Penn’s administration in November 2015.
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April 3, 2017
Contact: Megan Kyne or Peter Thacher, Fossil Free Penn// (724)-421-7669//[email protected], (314)-602-2408//[email protected]
Philadelphia, PA-At 5:00pm on Thursday March 30th, the fourth day of Fossil Free Penn’s sit-in for fossil fuel divestment at the University of Pennsylvania, 130 students joined together in College Hall. 69 students stayed past College Hall’s 6:00pm closing time and received citations, with disciplinary actions pending.
After opting to receive these citations, students marched out. With the mobilization of over 200 students over the course of four days, from March 27th through March 30th, Fossil Free Penn ended its sit-in.
“While the sit in is over, our fight for climate justice and fossil fuel divestment is not” stated College Senior Peter Thacher.
The administration proved unwilling to move on Fossil Free Penn’s demands which were:
- Immediate divestment of the University’s endowment from all companies involved with the extraction of coal and tar sands
- The establishment and commencement of a plan for full divestment from all fossil fuel corporations within six months
After allowing students to sleep in College Hall without repercussion Tuesday night, on Wednesday citations were given to 13 students who chose to stay past the building’s 6:00pm closing time. On Thursday morning, administrators informed representatives of Fossil Free Penn that they were no longer willing to negotiate with the organization as a result of the rule violations.
By 5:00pm Thursday March 30th 130 students had joined Fossil Free Penn in College Hall, and 69 opted to receive citations that night.
“We proved that the student voice is strong and cannot be suppressed; and if the Board of Trustees continues to act complacently, we are willing to take action once again,” said Wharton freshman Megan Kyne.
Leaving the building at 7:00pm Thursday night, Fossil Free Penn left a letter with the administration outlining three demands that must be met by September 2017. These include divestment from companies involved in coal and tar sands, the creation of an interdisciplinary task force that includes members of Fossil Free Penn to implement climate solutions, and the public release of the analysis that had been used by the Trustees to reject divestment in September 2016.
This action came after years of campaigning including a February 2015 undergraduate referendum where 87.8% favored fossil fuel divestment, a faculty letter of support with 130 signatories and an alumni petition that counts 315 signatures including Noam Chomsky ‘55. A 48-page researched proposal for fossil fuel divestment was presented to Penn’s administration in November 2015.
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BREAKING: 33 Students Sit In College Hall to Demand Fossil Fuel Divestment
3/27/2017
March 27, 2017
Contact: Megan Kyne, Fossil Free Penn // (724)-421-7669 // [email protected]
http://www.fossilfreepenn.org
Philadelphia, PA - At 9:00am today, 33 students at the University of Pennsylvania entered College Hall, sleeping bags in tow, to sit in with two demands. These demands were:
“The fossil fuel industry is directly responsible for the continued exacerbation of climate change, a crisis that disproportionately harms marginalized people and groups. The University of Pennsylvania’s investment in this financially, logically, and morally unsound industry perpetuates practices that endanger all and contradict its own claims of dedication to sustainability and equality” said Wharton freshman Megan Kyne.
After over two years of Fossil Free Penn’s campaigning, students sit in out of necessity. In response to a 48-page research document detailing the merits of divestment from the top 200 fossil fuel companies, the Board of Trustees rejected the proposal with a mere 19-word rebuttal in September 2016. Most recently, in response to an open invitation to engage in a public discussion about divestment, the Board of Trustees refused.
“We have exhausted every other avenue for appealing to reason and logic, but the administration has been uncooperative. They leave us no choice but to sit in” said College senior Peter Thacher.
Students and faculty support Fossil Free Penn’s demands. 87.8% of undergraduate students voted in favor of fossil fuel divestment in a February 2015 referendum, and a faculty letter of support released in April 2016 has amassed 129 signatures. Thus, Fossil Free Penn demands a plan for full fossil fuel divestment. Immediately, however, Fossil Free Penn calls for divestment from coal and tar sands, an imperative step that peer institutions have already made.
Fossil Free Penn and its allies are prepared maintain their presence College Hall indefinitely in hopes of ensuring climate justice.
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3/27/2017
March 27, 2017
Contact: Megan Kyne, Fossil Free Penn // (724)-421-7669 // [email protected]
http://www.fossilfreepenn.org
Philadelphia, PA - At 9:00am today, 33 students at the University of Pennsylvania entered College Hall, sleeping bags in tow, to sit in with two demands. These demands were:
- The immediate divestment of the University’s endowment from all companies involved with the extraction of coal and tar sands
- The establishment and commencement of a plan for full divestment from all fossil fuel corporations within six months
“The fossil fuel industry is directly responsible for the continued exacerbation of climate change, a crisis that disproportionately harms marginalized people and groups. The University of Pennsylvania’s investment in this financially, logically, and morally unsound industry perpetuates practices that endanger all and contradict its own claims of dedication to sustainability and equality” said Wharton freshman Megan Kyne.
After over two years of Fossil Free Penn’s campaigning, students sit in out of necessity. In response to a 48-page research document detailing the merits of divestment from the top 200 fossil fuel companies, the Board of Trustees rejected the proposal with a mere 19-word rebuttal in September 2016. Most recently, in response to an open invitation to engage in a public discussion about divestment, the Board of Trustees refused.
“We have exhausted every other avenue for appealing to reason and logic, but the administration has been uncooperative. They leave us no choice but to sit in” said College senior Peter Thacher.
Students and faculty support Fossil Free Penn’s demands. 87.8% of undergraduate students voted in favor of fossil fuel divestment in a February 2015 referendum, and a faculty letter of support released in April 2016 has amassed 129 signatures. Thus, Fossil Free Penn demands a plan for full fossil fuel divestment. Immediately, however, Fossil Free Penn calls for divestment from coal and tar sands, an imperative step that peer institutions have already made.
Fossil Free Penn and its allies are prepared maintain their presence College Hall indefinitely in hopes of ensuring climate justice.
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