Cornell University police shut down an early morning environmental protest on May 24, just hours before commencement, according to the Ithaca Journal. Activists from Cornell on Fire and Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island blindfolded a statue of founder A.D. White and hung banners denouncing fossil fuel ties.
Three protesters, including former professor Bethany Ojalehto Mays, were removed and banned from campus for three years. Organizers argue the demonstration was an expressive art installation, not subject to registration, and highlighted the environmental concerns threatening graduates’ futures.
The protest, echoing a similar action last December, was meant to pressure the university to fully sever connections with fossil fuel industries.
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