A group of protesters gathered at the entrance to the Hunter Centre on Wednesday 1 March in opposition to a Goldman Sachs information session as a result of their sizeable investments in the fossil fuel industry.
Goldman Sachs, a global finance company, was holding the information session to advertise employment opportunities for students wishing to pursue internships at their Auckland office.
The company is heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry, specifically in Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the oil conglomerate that is overseeing the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), an underground oil pipeline that will stretch 1,825km across the USA from North Dakota to Illinois.
Though blocked in one of Barack Obama’s final moves as president, the DAPL has been given a new lease of life by the Trump Administration. Once completed, the pipeline will carry as many as 470,000 barrels of crude oil every day.
Will Stovall, the organiser of the protest, was called by the Proctor Dace Scott, to ensure that the protest would be civil and not impede Goldman Sachs’s ability to conduct their session.
One member of the protest, Donna (pictured), entered the Hunter Centre to get closer to the session, something the protesters were specifically told not to do. She was quickly approached by Campus Watch and asked to leave. She initially stood her ground, saying: “I am just trying to ensure a better future for my children and grandchildren”, but upon being told that she would be forcibly removed from the building if she continued to resist, agreed to peacefully leave of her own accord.
Speaking to Critic, Stovall reiterated that their “commitment throughout the demonstration was to respectfully encourage Goldman Sachs to divest from the Dakota Access Pipeline,” before also “acknowledging that the Proctor and Campus Watch went out of their way to ensure the well-being and safety of both parties involved.”
A University Spokesperson said, “The Career Development Centre supports the rights of all students on campus to protest in support of issues about which they are passionate. They also have a duty to ensure that relevant graduate and career opportunities are available to students who wish to avail themselves of these. Ultimately it’s up to everyone to make their own mind up in accordance with their values.”