Harvard Cancels Colbert, Ma Talk Amid Strike

A fire alarm halted the Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma event after about 40 minutes as Harvard Graduate Student Union protesters gathered outside.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Unions

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a red-brick institutional facade with arched windows and an open iron gate, evoking a quiet campus standoff. — Hundreds of Harvard Graduate Student Union members marched outside as a Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma event was canceled after a fire alarm, amid a 20-month contract dispute. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should public figures cross picket lines to speak at events?

Harvard canceled a talk by Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma roughly 40 minutes in after a fire alarm was pulled during the question-and-answer portion. The school and the fire department determined there was no reason for the alarm to be activated, as hundreds of Harvard Graduate Student Union protesters shouted outside.

Why it matters

The disruption comes as the union, which represents 4,000 people and went on strike October 27, has been bargaining with the university for 20 months over pay, harassment processes and protections for non-citizen colleagues. For Cambridge residents, the episode highlights an ongoing labor dispute centered on the university that anchors the city.

The union has held 36 bargaining sessions and has bargained for 20 months, and at the most recent session Harvard offered zero proposals and walked out before the scheduled time ended. The union represents 4,000 people and previously conducted a 40-day strike over the summer.

The players

Harvard University

Harvard is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the counterparty in the union's ongoing bargaining.

Harvard Graduate Student Union

The union represents about 4,000 graduate students and has been bargaining with Harvard for living wages, harassment processes and protections for non-citizen colleagues.

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert is an American comedian and former host of The Late Show, whose talk with Yo-Yo Ma was canceled.

Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma is an internationally acclaimed cellist who was scheduled to appear alongside Stephen Colbert at the canceled event.

The details

Hundreds of union protesters marched in circles and chanted outside the event during the talk, and the cancellation followed the fire alarm pulled during the Q&A. John Green moved his own event to Zoom and donated the money he made to the union.

Summer (prior year): union conducted a 40-day strike
October 27: union went on strike
Thursday, November 5: Colbert and Ma event canceled after about 40 minutes

Season Trajectory

This dispute extends a pattern of Harvard labor conflict in which campus activity and bargaining breakdowns unfold together. The union's 40-day summer strike and October 27 walkout show the bargaining impasse is now more than a year old.

The union's strike continues to affect Harvard's campus operations and academic activities for graduate students. Bargaining remains unresolved, and any agreement would determine pay and protections for the union's 4,000 members.

The takeaway

Labor disputes at major institutions often play out in public spaces, and the outcome of this bargaining will shape working conditions for thousands of graduate students. Readers following the story can track how Harvard and the union respond to the next bargaining session.