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Occupy Harvard - Students Set Up Tents In Harvard Yard

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – The "Occupy Wall Street" movement has come to Harvard University.

The gates around the main campus are now either locked or manned by several guards after hundreds of students set up an "Occupy Harvard" encampment Wednesday night.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports

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There were about 20 tents in front of the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard Thursday afternoon, but there wasn't much activity because of the rain.

Reporters weren't allowed in because they don't have Harvard identification, which is the only way guards will let people in now.

"The amount of security is definitely overkill," one student told WBZ NewsRadio.

The protesters say Harvard represents the one-percent that controls the nation's wealth.

Harvard released this statement Thursday:

Last night, several hundred demonstrators converged on the Harvard campus to express their support for the Occupy movement. The demonstrators consisted of people from within and outside the Harvard community. At the conclusion of the evening, Harvard students erected tents in the Yard, which remained through the night. We are writing now to explain the principles that have informed, and will continue to inform, our response to these activities.

First, we respect and protect the rights of members of the Harvard community to express their views on matters of public debate. These rights, of course, are tempered by the rights of other members of our community to express their views, and our need to live, study, and work in an educationally appropriate environment. Last night, people with Harvard identification were permitted access to the Yard and, consistent with our values as an educational institution, had the ability to demonstrate, to speak, and to engage in other expressive conduct.

Second, the University has a fundamental obligation to be attentive to the safety, security, and well-being of its students, faculty, and staff on campus. The events of last night raised safety concerns: The number of demonstrators was large, many of the demonstrators were not from Harvard, and specific behaviors were troubling. For this reason, the University took what we consider to be appropriate security precautions as the situation evolved during the evening.

The decision by students and other members of the Harvard community to erect tents in the Yard will require that the University continue with heightened security measures for the time being. Most importantly, no one without a Harvard identification will be permitted into the Yard. We recognize and apologize for the inconvenience this will cause to students, faculty, staff, and neighbors. But securing access to the Yard is necessary for the safety of the freshmen and others who live and work there, for the students who will be sleeping outdoors as part of the protest, and for the overall campus.

— Alan M. Garber, Provost

— Katherine N. Lapp, Executive Vice President

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