About 50 students held a sit-in in front of Nassau Hall at Princeton University on Friday afternoon to advocate for the school’s complete divestment from the fossil fuel industry. The group was a mix of Princeton High School and university students.

The event was organized by the group Princeton Climate Strikes and was led by Princeton High School senior Harmonie Ramsden. It was part of a global day of action. Young people around the world took to the streets to demand urgent action to avoid disastrous climate change.

In May, the board of trustees at Princeton announced that the school would no longer invest in the thermal coal and tar sands segments of the fossil fuel industry, as well as companies that promote climate misinformation. A faculty panel has been formed to advise the university officials about how to determine which companies warrant dissociation.

On March 9, Rutgers University officials resolved to divest from fossil fuel investments, making Rutgers the first university in New Jersey to do so. As part of its divestment strategy, Rutgers will stop investing in fossil fuel companies, cease existing investments within 10 years, and reinvest in renewable energy sources.

Harvard University officials announced recently that the school would allow its remaining indirect investments in fossil fuels to expire.

All photos by Rich Hundley III.

Krystal Knapp

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.