2024 University of California, Davis pro-Palestinian campus occupation

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2024 UC Davis pro-Palestinian campus occupation
Part of the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
DateMay 6, 2024 (2024-05-06) – June 20, 2024 (2024-06-20)
(1 month and 14 days)
Location
Davis, California, United States

The UC Davis pro-Palestinian campus occupation was established by the Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine (UCD PULP) as part of a nationwide campus activism movement advocating for Palestinian rights and calling for university divestment from Israeli investments due to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza. [1]

Contents

Background

This movement is part of a wider surge in campus activism across the United States, with similar protests occurring at institutions like Columbia University and UCLA. At Columbia, police action to clear an encampment led to a significant confrontation, highlighting tensions between protesters and authorities. UCLA also experienced violent clashes, as law enforcement intervened in demonstrations, reflecting the charged atmosphere around these protests. These events underscore a national dialogue on human rights and university investment policies, where students are pushing for changes to what they see as complicit financial activities by their institutions. [2] [3] [4]

Events

On the morning of May 6, 2024, students from the Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine (UCD PULP) began setting up tents at the Memorial Quad near the Memorial Union of UC Davis. The encampment quickly grew in size, drawing attention and participation from various student groups and community members. During the night, there were incidents involving non-university affiliated agitators attempting to disrupt the peaceful protest. [5] This event underscores the tensions surrounding the encampment as it continues to be a focal point for advocacy and conflict. [6] [7] During the early morning of June 20, 2024, members of PULP voluntarily removed their encampment and materials. [8]

Demands

The protesters have articulated a range of demands aimed at addressing what they see as complicity in genocide and settler-colonialism by UC Davis and broader institutional networks. These demands include Chancellor Gary May's resignation from Leidos, ending the Koret program, divesting from companies that profit from Israeli policies, providing robust support for Palestinian students, and establishing comprehensive academic initiatives focused on Arab American and SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) studies. They advocate for a transformative approach to how the university addresses issues of racism, colonialism, and global conflicts, emphasizing solidarity with Palestinian liberation efforts and broader anti-racist and anti-colonial principles. [9] [ better source needed ]

Responses

On May 6, Chancellor Gary S. May issued a statement emphasizing UC Davis's commitment to a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects the community's right to free expression while maintaining educational and research missions without disruption. The university is actively engaging with students to mitigate any disruption and remains in contact with participants about their rights and responsibilities under the law and university policies. Chancellor May reaffirmed that as a public university, UC Davis supports peaceful protests and is committed to safety for all. [10]

Lawsuit

On May 17, 2024, Jonathan Groveman, a counterprotestor and a member of the Oct. 7 Coalition, sued the university, naming Chancellor Gary S. May and President of the University of California Michael V. Drake as defendents, for allowing the encampments to block his access to certain parts of the campus. [11] [12]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 University of California, Los Angeles pro-Palestinian campus occupation</span> 2024 occupation protest in Los Angeles, California

On April 25, 2024, a student protest began at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to protest the administration's investments in Israel. The occupation, self-titled as the 'Palestine Solidarity Encampment', was a part of pro-Palestine protests on university campuses campaigning for divestment from Israel. The encampment was attacked multiple times by counter protestors, leading to clashes. On May 2, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) raided and dismantled the encampment, arresting the protestors and ending the occupation.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 University of Pennsylvania pro-Palestine campus encampment</span> Protest at the University of Pennsylvania

On April 25, students at University of Pennsylvania began an encampment to protest the ongoing Israel–Hamas war and to call for divestment from Israel. The occupation, named the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," was part of a series of 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses. On May 10, the encampment was raided and protesters were arrested, ending the occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 University of Oxford pro-Palestinian campus occupations</span>

The pro-Palestinian campus occupations at the University of Oxford are ongoing occupation protests in Oxford, England, organised by Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P). The occupations started on 6 May 2024 on the Museum of Natural History's lawn, in front of the Pitt Rivers Museum. Escalating the protests, a second encampment was established on 19 May outside the Radcliffe Camera. Protests have taken elsewhere in the city, including on Wellington Square, where 17 students were arrested after occupying the Vice-Chancellor's office on 23 May. Protesters demands include disclosure of investments and divestment from Israeli companies, among others. The university refused to negotiate with protesters until responding to an email to arrange discussion on 5 June. The protests have been supported by over 500 members of staff, and criticised by the university as intimidating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Ohio State University pro-Palestinian campus protests</span> 2024 protests at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

A series of protests at Ohio State University by pro-Palestinian demonstrators occurred on-campus in response to the Israel-Palestine conflict beginning on October 7, 2023. A solidarity encampment was constructed on OSU's South Oval on April 25, 2024, during which there were at least 36 arrests, making for the largest en masse arrests on campus since the 1969–1970 Vietnam War protests.

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Pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Texas at Austin began on April 24, 2024, organized by the Palestinian Solidarity Committee in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. The protests have included sit-ins, marches, and encampments on campus, calling for the university to divest from companies linked to Israel's actions in Gaza. The demonstrations escalated when university officials, with support from local and state law enforcement, intervened to disperse protestors, leading to multiple arrests and sparking criticism over the suppression of free speech on campus. Despite arrests and clashes with police, the protests have continued, drawing significant attention and raising debates about civil liberties and the role of university administration in managing campus protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reactions to the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses</span>

Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses escalated in April 2024, spreading in the United States and other countries, as part of wider Gaza war protests. With over 3,100 protesters arrested in the U.S., universities suspended and expelled student protesters, in some cases evicting them from campus housing, and relied on police to forcibly disband occupations.

References

  1. ↑ "Pro-Palestinian encampment established on UC Davis campus". ABC10. May 6, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Riot police dismantle peaceful pro-Palestinian protest at UCLA". Al Jazeera. May 2, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Fighting breaks out at UCLA as counter-protesters confront pro-Palestinian encampment". The Times of Israel. May 2, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Tension grows on UCLA campus as police order dispersal of large pro-Palestinian gathering". Yahoo News. May 1, 2024.
  5. ↑ "UC Davis protest forces festival to move locations". Fox40. May 7, 2024.
  6. ↑ "UC Davis pro-Palestinian encampment continues, demonstrators call for specific changes from chancellor". CapRadio. May 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ "College Campus Protests: Pro-Palestinian encampment established at UC Davis". abc10.com. May 7, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Statement From Chancellor Gary S. May on Encampment Status June 20". UC Davis News & Media Relations. June 20, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Detailed Demands of UC Davis Protesters". Google Docs. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Statement from Chancellor Gary S. May on Encampment Set Up May 6". UC Davis. May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  11. ↑ Walike, Lauren (May 21, 2024). "Man sues UC Davis over pro-Palestinian encampment". Associated Press.
  12. ↑ Biderman, Chris (May 20, 2024). "Man files lawsuit against UC Davis for handling of encampment. Here's what he's alleging". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024.
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