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May 20, 2014

"Yes Men" Artist Unveils Fossil Fuel Divestment at Reed College in Commencement Prank 
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In a commencement address at Reed College in Oregon, speaker Igor Vamos
announced the school's decision to join a growing movement to divest
from fossil fuels.

Igor Vamos: "I was very pleased to learn that the board of trustees of
Reed College has just now decided to divest its $500 million endowment
from fossil fuels (cheering) ... But what they're doing with the money
is what's most interesting. They're pulling the money out of those
industries and investing it in community-owned renewable energy projects
(cheering)."

The announcement received a standing ovation. The only catch is that
Reed College has not actually divested from fossil fuels. The speaker,
Reed alumni Igor Vamos, also known as Mike Bonanno, is a member of the
culture jamming activist group the Yes Men, who was carrying out his
latest political prank. The ruse involved a fake website and press
release which fooled at least one news outlet. In a real statement, Reed
College said its trustees are reviewing the student call for divestment.

 

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