THE two worlds of football saw protests against racism, climate change and domestic violence over the weekend, each in their own unique way.

College football fans in the United States staged a sit-in during half-time on Saturday night as Harvard took on Yale.

In the game dubbed the Yale Bowl, protesters took to the field with banners that read: “Nobody wins. Yale & Harvard are complicit in climate injustice,” and “Yale and Harvard Students United for Climate Justice.”

Largely of university age, but with a few older protesters mixed in, the group chanted: “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Fossil fuels have got to go!” 

Police in yellow tabards lined up alongside the sit-in but did not intervene. When the 15-minute half-time expired and the protest continued, hundreds more fans streamed onto the field to join in. Fans remaining in the stands began to boo, but only briefly.

The stadium announcer implored the group to leave, repeating: “As a courtesy to both teams, the game must resume.” 

Protesters responded by chanting: “OK, boomer,” a popular US catchphrase aimed at “narrow-minded” people.

Players tried to remain warm on the sideline but gave up and returned to the changing rooms. Harvard coach Tim Murphy was given an update from the game officials and public safety officers as the protest continued.

Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins spoke to the protesters over a megaphone, trying to convince them that they had made their point, but it would be lost if the situation escalated.

After about an hour, police formed a line and moved forward, from the Yale sideline toward the Harvard sideline. A protest leader encouraged all “internationals” to leave. An agreement was reached to escort the remainders off, with one police officer to every two protesters.

“Our goal was to spread the word,” Harvard student Rachel Sadoff said. “If more people speak up, our colleges will have to listen.”

Student groups Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard, Fossil Free Yale and Yale Endowment Justice Coalition released a statement after the protest saying: “Harvard and Yale claim their goal is to create student leaders who can strive toward a more ‘just, fair, and promising world’ by ‘improving the world today and for future generations.’ 

“Yet by continuing to invest in industries that mislead the public, smear academics and deny reality, Harvard and Yale are complicit in tearing down that future.

“Students are tired of Harvard and Yale profiting off of climate destruction and neocolonial investments in Puerto Rico’s debt. It’s time for more than lip service and greenwashing from academic leaders. Harvard and Yale must address the climate emergency at the scale and with the urgency it demands. This action is only the beginning.”

Academy Award-winning actor Sam Waterson, who graduated from Yale in 1962, was one of 30 people arrested at the protest.

“I’m here because I hope [the students’] determination, and maybe my joining in, will give some heart to the great majority of us who know we are in the middle of a climate emergency … You don’t get to have the facts, the truth and the right on your side every day. This is one of those days.”

Harvard captain Wesley Ogsbury said in a video supporting the action: “Harvard and Yale can’t claim to truly promote knowledge while at the same time supporting the companies engaged in misleading the public, smearing academics and denying truth … We’re coming together to call upon [Harvard] President Bacow and [Yale] President Salovey to divest from the fossil fuel industry now … for the sake of our generation.”

Elsewhere, footballers in Italy’s Serie A painted a red stripe on their cheeks in the ongoing fight against domestic violence against women.

To coincide with today’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the “give violence against women the red card” initiative was set up by the league and humanitarian organisation WeWorld Onlus.

According to Italian research institute Eures, 142 women were killed in Italy from domestic violence in 2018 and in the last five years, 538,000 women were the victims of physical or sexual abuse by their partners, according to Italy’s national statistics agency.

“In every stadium a banner will be displayed to make people aware that the most important red card to give is the one against violence to women,” Serie A said in a statement prior to kick-off.

In the Netherlands, players across the top two divisions stood still during the opening minute of matches in a protest against racism.

Two weeks ago, a second division match between Den Bosch and Excelsior Rotterdam was briefly halted by the referee following racist chants directed at a black player.

However, the weekend was tarnished by retired legend Marco van Basten who was forced to apologise for saying “sieg heil” during a live television show after a German coach was interviewed.

Van Basten, working as an analyst for US broadcaster Fox Sports, was off camera on Saturday when he used the German phrase for “hail victory” that became notorious for its use at nazi rallies.

Later in the show, Van Basten said: “It was not my intention to shock people. I apologise.”