Harvard ‘Senior Sunrise’ cut short by cops

A crowd of Harvard graduates celebrated their annual sunrise ceremony on Weeks Footbridge on Friday morning after police cleared the area.

Pictures from the accident scene, subscriber by NBC Boston, showed a large crowd of students gathered on the pedestrian bridge over the Charles River as police officers from multiple agencies responded.

In an email to boston.comMassachusetts State Police said troopers were called to the bridge shortly after 5 a.m. after receiving reports that a large group of people were blocking the path and trying to swim in the Charles River.

A State Police spokesman said: “Shortly after 5 a.m., troopers from Boston Barracks responded to reports of a large group of people blocking the path of the Weeks Pedestrian Bridge in Cambridge and attempting to swim in the Charles River.”

Swimming in the Charles River is generally prohibited except for certain prohibited events, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Cambridge Police and Harvard University Police also responded to help clear the bridge.

The gathering was part of Harvard’s 2026 graduates’ annual Senior Sunrise event, a tradition in which seniors gather before dawn to watch the sunrise together as they embark on life after graduation.

It was not immediately clear whether any arrests, citations or injuries had been reported.

Cambridge Police referred questions about the incident to State Police and Harvard University Police. A Harvard University Police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The gathering came one day after Harvard celebrated its 2026 commencement ceremony, where comedian and alumnus Conan O’Brien delivered the keynote address.