Video: Climate Activists Shut Down Harvard-Yale Football Game Over 'Fossil Fuel Divestment'

On Saturday, students said to be from both Harvard and Yale universities staged a sit-in protest during the halftime break in the football game between the two high-profile schools, demanding that the two educational institutions change their investment strategy.

The protesters reportedly stormed the field just before the start of the third quarter, filling the midfield area and disrupting the game for some 40 minutes.

Harvard and Yale activists are demanding that the administrations of their universities stop "investing in injustice," and divest their school endowments from fossil-fuel profits.

The sit-in ended after negotiations between the police and students resulted in arrests reportedly conducted following the expression of a desire by the activists to be arrested.

Following the disrupted game, a Yale statement noted that although the university "stands for the right to free expression", the school regretted the students' choice of time and place for their action.

"It is regrettable that the orchestrated protest came during a time when fellow students were participating in a collegiate career-defining contest and an annual tradition when thousands gather from around the world to enjoy and celebrate the storied traditions of both football programs and universities,” the statement reads.

Yale has also expressed its gratitute to "the staff members and police officers who ensured the peaceful departure of students from the field", noting that "The exercise of free expression on campus is subject to general conditions, and we do not allow disruption of university events."

The sit-in, however, was praised by many climate activists in the Internet, with some politicians, particularly in the Democratic party, highlighting the significance of widespread climate activism. Among the latter were Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, and US presidential hopefuls Julian Castro and Bernie Sanders.