UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee students’ pro-Palestinian encampment protests entered their second week Monday with communication continuing between students, staff and university administrators.
Students launched their encampments last week — joining protests against Israel’s war with Hamas, which has killed over 30,000 people in Gaza. UW student demands include withdrawing the university’s investments in Israel. The encampments have been largely peaceful apart from on Wednesday of last week when police were brought in by UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin to physically remove UW-Madison protesters’ encampment. Over 30 people were arrested. Police have not taken action at the UW-Milwaukee protest.
Over the weekend and on Monday, communication continued with school leaders despite comments from the UW system President Jay Rothman that further police action is a possibility.
UW-Madison student protest leaders met with campus leaders to discuss concerns and expectations on Saturday. The students have six demands including the disclosure of University of Wisconsin Foundation investments, the cutting of ties with all Israeli organizations and removal of police from campus.
Following that meeting, UW-Madison said in a statement that students proposed bringing a set of suggested guidelines related to the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) investments to the next meeting, but that no commitments about disclosure of investments and divestment were made.
UW-Madison also said that there was no discussion during the Saturday meeting about a ceasefire statement or cutting campus ties with Israeli institutions. University leaders also said it wasn’t an “option to remove UWPD from campus.”
UW-Madison administrators also said that they would continue to “refrain from asking UWPD to clear the illegal encampment if productive discussions continue.”
UW-Milwaukee student protesters said they met with university officials on Monday and reiterated during a press conference that they would stay at the encampment as long as necessary. Their list of demands are similar to those at UW-Madison, including divestment.
Ameen Atta, a student representing UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition, said at the press conference that four students met with three administrators for about 90 minutes.
“Administrators began by explaining that they understand the sensitivity of the situation, however, they reiterated the need for the encampment to end,” Atta said. “We agreed that the encampment must end and that the only way it will end is once the reasonable demands to cut ties with Israeli genocide and slaughter are met.”
Atta said that they were told that the UW administration would reach out to the foundation regarding the disclosure and divestment demands. He also said that they listened to their other demands. He said another meeting will happen with school officials within the next 48 hours.
“If it goes beyond the end of the school year, then it will go beyond the end of the school year,” Atta said.
However, it’s unclear whether a peaceful resolution will be found on either campus, especially as Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said over the weekend that further police action is still an option and that the police force used earlier in the week was protesters’ fault.
“To the extent that there were clashes, that was instigated by the protesters,” Rothman said on UpFront. Footage posted by the Daily Cardinal shows police pushing protesters first.
Rothman said he supported Mnookin’s decision last week to bring in police and that he remains in communication with her. He said that the encampments “will ultimately be gone” and that they are a health and safety issue.
“There are no sanitary facilities there. We have students and other protesters staying overnight. In populated areas. There is a health and safety issue,” Rothman said. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our students are safe. Having those kind of encampments, you know, as your mother told you, nothing good happens after midnight.”
Rothman also critiqued protesters’ demands, saying that removing cops was “ludicrous” and a “nonstarter,” and that divestment demands are a “red herring.”
“Every option has to be on the table. I mean at the end of the day, the encampments are there illegally and they need to come down,” Rothman said.
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originally published at https%3A%2F%2Fwisconsinexaminer.com%2Fbriefs%2Fuw-student-protests-continue-into-second-week%2F by Baylor Spears
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