Fire Alarm Ends Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma’s Harvard Talk Early

The event at Sanders Theater was about 40 minutes underway when the alarm sounded during a question-and-answer session. The audience was evacuated, ending the talk after the speakers had answered three questions. Harvard staff and the Cambridge Fire Department checked and reset the alarm; a fire department official said they found no reason it had activated. The graduate student union said it had no knowledge of the cause and that the alarm was unrelated to its picketing. It said members were relieved everyone inside was safe. Plans to reschedule the event were possible.

Outside, striking Harvard graduate workers chanted, used horns and drums, and marched as the talk continued. Their demonstrations made it difficult for the crowd inside to hear, and the union posted video of the picket. Union spokesperson Rochelle Sun said members were disappointed that Colbert and Ma crossed the picket line after outreach, but welcomed the chance for dialogue. Neither speaker had publicly addressed the incident.

The union’s more than 4,000 student workers began striking on October 27, disrupting classes and research. They are seeking secure conditions, just wages and the ability to remain. The current stoppage came after a 40-day strike this spring. University leaders John Manning and Meredith Weenick wrote recently that Harvard remained committed to reaching an agreement and had offered pay increases and continued access to emergency legal-service funds for non-US residents. The union said its latest bargaining session ended without proposals from Harvard.

Harvard Workers’ Picket Put Labor Dispute in Spotlight

Harvard’s striking graduate workers made their labor dispute impossible to ignore on November 5. While Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma spoke inside Sanders Theater, demonstrators outside chanted, sounded horns and drums, and pressed the university to address their demands. The event ended after a fire alarm sounded about 40 minutes in, during the question-and-answer session.

The theater was evacuated after the speakers had answered three questions. Firefighters and Harvard staff checked and reset the alarm; a fire department official said there was no reason for it to have activated. The union said it had no knowledge of the cause and that the alarm was unrelated to its picketing. No one inside was at risk, the union said.

The union said it was disappointed that Colbert and Ma crossed the picket line despite outreach, while welcoming a chance for dialogue. Its more than 4,000 student workers have been on strike since October 27, disrupting teaching and research as they seek secure conditions, just wages and the ability to remain. This is a fight over workers’ conditions and leverage, not merely whether a campus event can proceed without disruption.

Harvard leaders have said the university remains committed to an agreement and described offers of pay increases and emergency legal-service funds for non-US residents. The union, meanwhile, said the latest bargaining session ended without university proposals. A rescheduled event remained possible.

Harvard Protest Disrupts Colbert and Ma’s Campus Event

A campus event featuring Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma was cut short on November 5 after a fire alarm sounded amid a loud protest outside Sanders Theater. Demonstrators chanted and used horns and drums, making it hard for many people inside to catch what was said. The alarm interrupted the question-and-answer session about 40 minutes into the event, after only three questions.

The audience evacuated, and Harvard staff and the Cambridge Fire Department checked and reset the alarm. A fire department official said they found no reason for it to activate. The union said the alarm was unrelated to its picketing and that it did not know the cause. Plans to reschedule were possible.

The protest was part of a strike by more than 4,000 graduate student workers, which began on October 27 and has disrupted classes and research. The union says it is seeking secure conditions, just wages and the ability to remain. Those demands deserve a place at the bargaining table, but a picket that drowns out a university event also puts pressure on people who came to hear the speakers and student performers.

The union criticized Colbert and Ma for crossing the picket line after outreach, while saying it welcomed further dialogue. Harvard leaders have said they are committed to reaching an agreement and cited proposed pay increases and emergency legal-service funds for non-US residents. The union said Harvard offered no proposals at its latest session. Neither speaker had publicly commented.