University of Oregon students held a “mock wedding” Thursday. The event marked the end of Divest UO’s 9 week sit-in at the administration building on campus.
“Friends, fellow UO students, we gather here today to officially unite the University of Oregon Foundation and the fossil fuel industry in marriage.”
Students are protesting the UO Foundation’s investment in fossil fuels. They cite concern over climate change.
Oregon State University Students are also working to get their school’s foundation to divest.
OSU senior Jesse Pettibone says 78 percent of students recently voted in favor of a referendum for divestment. The students have been meeting with representatives of the OSU Foundation. But they’re feeling a sense of urgency about climate change.
Pettibone: “So it’s hard to go to meetings where they’re just kind of listening, knowing that we need action and we needed action 3 years ago and 10 years ago.”
Divest UO has ended its sit-in for now. But UO senior Erik Jung says they’re not done. He says they encourage people to contribute in another way.
Jung: “DivestFund.org. Go to the University of Oregon, donate however much they want to. It’s a tax deductible donation. But the UO Foundation doesn’t get any of the money until they commit to divestment from fossil fuels.”
The mock wedding did not end with a kiss. The groom, who represented the foundation, and wore a duck head, ran off after hearing all the objections from the audience.
KLCC’s Rachael McDonald spoke with UO Foundation President and CEO Paul Weinhold Thursday. He says it’s not so simple for the foundation to divest from fossil fuels.
Representatives of the UO Foundation and DivestUO plan to meet again in June.
