A band of protesters disrupted a US college football game by taking to the field to brandish banners with messages such as 'Stop funding the war on Palestine' while demanding the defunding of the police.
The incident occurred as the Northwestern Wildcats hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.
With under a minute remaining in the first half of the clash, which finished 17-12 to the visitors, the protesters rushed onto the turf at Ryan Field.
Protestors just rushed the field
— Jett Beachum (@JetthroTV) November 7, 2021
Signs read “stop funding the war on Palestine” and “Abolish NUPD. Invest in Black Lives.” #Northwestern pic.twitter.com/XCbbKMRSiT
Among others, their hand-made banners also included messages such as "Abolish NUPD, invest in black lives", referring to the Northwestern University Police Department, and "Divest from death".
As a delay of several minutes was caused, one restless individual identified as an Iowa fan also took to the field to storm through the signs and bring some of the protesters to the ground.
Leaving the grass, the fan appeared to issue a gesture to the intruders and then pumped up the crowd.
An #Iowa fan freely stormed the field at the end of the first half in response to a protest. #NorthwesternFootball pic.twitter.com/qcAQz8sNrI
— Lauren Withrow (@lolowithrow) November 7, 2021
That paved the way for security to enter and gain ground on the protesters, who then abandoned their signs and departed as well.
"It’s important that our entire Northwestern community is aware, especially parents, [of] where their money is being put," commented one organizer from NU Community Not Cops to a local paper.
"We know that police have not been able to stop the druggings that are happening on campus," it was added, in a nod to a string of alleged sexual assaults at Northwestern and at the University of Iowa too.
"Police do not keep us safe."
Our demands? Open meetings between students & the board of trustees at least 2x/yr. Concrete deadlines for our demands as well as @fossilfreenu, nu dissenters, & other campus org demands. systems that center and protect survivors of sexual violence. https://t.co/30qAtI4fAp
— #nucommunitynotcops (@copsoutofNU) November 7, 2021
As University spokesperson Jon Yates confirmed that no arrests were made, he explained that the protest is being investigated by University Police.
But according to the organizer "there is more to come."
"We disrupted the game because Northwestern cares more about football than they do about our demands," it was stressed.
On Twitter, the group shared a photo of its action and made a list of the changes it would like to see.
These include meetings twice a year between students and the board of trustees, plus systems that center and protect survivors of sexual violence.
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