A group of protesters ran onto the field during a Northwestern University football game Saturday at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.
Towards the end of the first half of the game between Northwestern University and the Iowa Hawkeyes, nine protesters ran onto field holding giant signs.
The signs read “Abolish NUPD Invest in black lives”, “Divest from death”, and “Stop funding the war on Palestine”, according to a report from Sports Illustrated.
During the delay, an individual wearing Iowa gear ran onto the field and appeared to try to tear the signs down. He then ran to the end zone and stood with his arms raised, prompting a cheer from fans.
The Iowa fan was escorted away by security and the protesters left after being confronted by security.
The protesters were allegedly members from different student activist groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine, NU Dissenters, NU Community Not Cops, and Students Organizing for Labor Rights.
After the game, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald spoke to reporters about the incident.
Fitzgerald said “My first focus is the health, safety, and well-being of our student athletes”. “Any time that that gets compromised it gives you great pause, and you want to handle that with great care and concern,” he added.
“All I was focused on was trying to keep our guys away. You never know what may happen,” he explained.
The University has yet to release a statement regarding the protest over the weekend.
