Pro-Palestinian Protesters Erect Encampment at UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. (The Sacramento Bee/TNS) — A group of pro-Palestinian protesters erected an encampment Monday at UC Davis amid a nationwide chorus of protesters on campuses calling on universities to divest from Israel amid the war in Gaza.

The group, calling itself the Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine, brought at least 20 tents to Memorial Quad, said university spokesman James Nash. UC Davis joins at least 27 schools in which protests have erupted in recent weeks, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis, some of which have turned violent, others resulting in arrests by police.

The group sent UC Davis leadership a letter echoing similar sentiments of many pro-Palestinian protesters at college campuses. Chancellor Gary May said in a statement that university officials are reviewing the demands and are working on responding.

“We have members of our community who have lost” anywhere from 10 to 40 family members, said protester Stanford McConnehey, a third-year UC Davis law student. “So we have our eyes on Palestine.”

The group seeks for UC Davis to “disclose & divest” from companies it says are complicit in Palestine’s occupation; and a “total academic & cultural boycott” by cutting ties with an exchange program conducted with the Hebrew University’s Korest School of Veterinary Medicine.

The demands also seek the university to “invest in Palestine, Arab American and ethnic studies”; offer full amnesty to protestors, promise to respect free speech and not repress protesters; and that Chancellor May to resigns from the board of directors of defense contract Leidos or resign from his university post, according to a social-media post. He has served as a director for the Virginia-based firm — which provides engineering and technical services in the aerospace, defense, health care and IT industries — since 2015.

McConnehey said the protesters have not yet had formal discussions with university officials over their demands.

“We’re willing to be here until our demands are met,” McConnehey said.

May said in a statement the administration is “engaging the students to mitigate any disruption of campus operations,” including access to classrooms and residence halls.

“As a public university, UC Davis cannot and will not discipline students for speech protected by the First Amendment,” May continued. “We allow peaceful protests, and are committed to keeping everyone safe.”

Students can file complaints of harassment under the assistance and prevention program and access counseling services.

“UC Davis is committed to a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects our community’s right to free expression while maintaining our educational and research mission without disruption,” May said.

A UC Davis student, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal from the school, said the UC’s investments in companies collaborating with Israel make a big difference.

“It’s important that we recognize that difference and act because of that difference,” the student said.

Meanwhile, Sacramento State has watched its encampment grow after it began protesting last week. President Luke Wood gave protesters until Wednesday to vacate their encampment at the library quad, which has remained peaceful. He noted the deadline could be extended if the protesters continue to abide by university policies.