BERKELEY – A large pro-Palestinian encampment at UC Berkeley peacefully disbanded Tuesday afternoon following discussions between protesters and school administrators.
The protesters took down the camp at Sproul Plaza around 5 p.m., UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof said.
The quiet end to the encampment came in stark contrast to others around the state and country that have seen protesters clash with law enforcement and counter protesters, instead reflecting a generally peaceful handling of such events on Bay Area campuses.
“I am greatly relieved that we were able to bring this protest to a peaceful end,” Chancellor Carol T. Christ said in a letter to the Academic Senate. “We stand ready, as always, to also meet with any students from any community who wish to present requests and ideas for institutional action in support of their needs, interests and/or values.”
Protesters first took over the Savio Steps of Sproul Hall on April 22, growing their encampment to more than 150 tents, with a list of demands.
They included that the university disavow the war in Gaza and call for a permanent and immediate cease-fire, a divestment of all financial holdings supporting Israel’s military operations, an end to academic partnerships with Israeli universities, and greater support of Palestinian students, including the establishment of a Palestinian studies program.
As of Tuesday, demonstrators agreed to disband their encampment in exchange for a campus commitment to two points, according to a public letter sent from Christ to the encampment.
First, administrators said a full divestment was off the table but agreed to expedite the UC Berkeley Foundation’s process for reviewing concerns regarding investments in weapons manufacturing, mass incarceration and surveillance industries. If the foundation signals support for divestment, the university will establish and convene a divestment task force by June 30. The task force will be expected to issue a report on industry-specific divestments.
If divestment is not supported, a task force of students, faculty and staff will be established by July 14 to develop industry-specific or company-specific divestment recommendations to be presented to the foundation chair.
Secondly, administrators agreed to review existing complaints regarding anti-Palestinian discrimination at Israeli universities and to establish a formal transparent process for reviewing similar complaints by the end of this year. Administrators also agreed to pursue termination of partnerships with programs that violate discrimination policies if no other remedies are available, according to a public letter sent from Christ to the encampment.
Christ also expressed support for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, recognized the “extraordinary death and destruction in Gaza,” and rejected the assertion that criticisms of Israel are antisemitic, according to release.
Demonstrators committed themselves to fighting for full divestment of Israel, asserting results from the initial terms of the agreement are only the “next terrain of struggle.”
“For three weeks, our encampment has been one node in the global student revolt for Palestine which has reinvigorated our people on the ground,” read a statement from the encampment. “Long live the Palestinian people. Long live the Palestinian resistance. The revolution continues.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry estimate that more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military response to an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken as hostage.
Across the Bay, members of a pro-Palestinian encampment at San Francisco State University announced they had reached an agreement with President Lynn Mahoney.
“We have won a commitment by the university to divest from weapons manufacturers and a commitment to create a workforce that will develop new screenings for investments that violate human rights and divest from those investments,” Students for Gaza said in a statement.
A news conference to discuss the development was scheduled to take place Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: www.mercurynews.com