New Haven and Yale police ended up arresting 50 people during the halftime-plus environmental protest Saturday during the Yale-Harvard football game.
Forty-eight of those arrested were charged with disorderly conduct and given a promise to appear, while two were charged with both disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, and were taken to pre-trial lockup at police headquarters for processing.
New Haven Police Sgt. Shayna Kendall released that news Monday afternoon about who was arrested, and on what charges, in the middle of the 136th edition of “The Game.”
Hundreds of students, alumni and supporters from both schools took to the field at the Yale Bowl and stayed past the normal halftime break to call on their universities to “divest their endowments from fossil fuel corporations and instruct their fund managers to cancel holdings in Puerto Rico’s debt.”
Actor Sam Waterston was among those arrested. He stated in a release that he joined the protest “because I hope [the students’] determination, and maybe my joining in, will give some heart to the great majority of us who know we are in the middle of a climate emergency.”
“On November 23, 2019, an organized group consisting of both Yale and Harvard affiliates made their way from the stands onto the Yale Bowl Field during half-time,” Kendall’s email press release reads.
“Most of these protestors left the field when asked and returned to their seats. Those who failed to adhere to such requests were issued misdemeanor summons.
“All were charged with Disorderly Conduct and given a court required appearance date of December 6, 2019 at 9:00 am, New Haven Superior Court located at 121 Elm Street.”
Two of the 50 received steeper charges than just disorderly conduct, she continued. A 24-year-old man from Michigan was charged with both disorderly conduct and first-degree trespass, and a 22-year-old Connecticut man was charged with disorderly conduct, first-degree criminal trespass, and interfering with police. Those two men were taken to the detention facility at police headquarters at 1 Union Ave.
Kendall confirmed that the latter two suspects did post bond and are also scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 6.
The protest grabbed national media attention and drew praise from Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders as well as from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Yale issued the following statement following the game (which Yale won):
“Yale stands firmly for the right to free expression. Today, students from Harvard and Yale expressed their views and delayed the start of the second half of the football game. We stand with the Ivy League in its statement: “It is regrettable that the orchestrated protest came during a time when fellow students were participating in a collegiate career-defining contest and an annual tradition when thousands gather from around the world to enjoy and celebrate the storied traditions of both football programs and universities.”
“We are grateful to the staff members and police officers who ensured the peaceful departure of students from the field. The exercise of free expression on campus is subject to general conditions, and we do not allow disruption of university events.”