University of Oregon's pro-Palestinian encampment marches on as administrators call for an end

Pro-Palestinian protesters have refused a request from the University of Oregon to disband their campus encampment, and participants say they don't plan to leave any time soon.

On Friday, participants in the encampment, also known as the Popular University for Gaza, called for a public negotiation session with UO administration. When nobody showed up, the protesters instead marched to the Johnson Hall administrative building and staged a "die-in" protest. About 200 people participated, lying on the steps and front lawn of the building. They wrote in chalk on the ground, "40,000+ how many more?", referencing the estimated number of casualties reported from the ongoing war in Gaza.

While protestors were on the ground, lead organizers read off the names of children under the age of 1 who have died in Gaza since Oct. 7.

UO Students for Justice in Palestine leaders and encampment organizers Salem Khoury and Salem Younes both became emotional while reading the names.

"The feeling that's always surrounding this movement is love and rage," Younes told the Register-Guard. "We do this because we have love for people and we have love for innocent humanity."

The march came after a negotiating team with the university released a statement saying they would meet some of the encampment's other demands but asked that the tents be removed and that there be no more overnight camping. The statement asked protestors to reserve designated space for gathering from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., following standard guidelines for assembly.

Following the die-in, the protestors marched through Johnson Hall, passing out the back door to hold a short speech in the grass outside. The group then went back through the hall again, taking a few minutes to chant inside the building. After they exited the building a second time, the doors to the hall were locked by staff.

The protestors instead marched around Johnson Hall, through the Associated Students of UO Street Faire, avoiding vendors and walking around attendees.

Asked whether the encampment would dissolve, Younes simply said, "no."

UO's response to encampment demands

Friday's events came on the heels of an administrative attempt to offer some concessions to the protesters in exchange for taking down the encampment.

The letter from the negotiations team addressed several demands the protesters have made, offering to address some of them, in part, but the UO Palestine Coalition groups on social media were calling the offer "shameful."

One of the group's demands was to distribute education and resources to faculty about their retirement investment options, one of which, the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System, is funded through the Oregon Treasury, which has investments in Elbit System, a weapons manufacturer. UO stated it would ensure clarity on retirement options and "if materials aren’t already explicit about this, language will be added to ensure that it is clear that the ORP option allows the employee to have control over their investments and to direct investments in a way that aligns with their personal preferences."

However, the group's call to end all academic exchanges and relations with Israeli universities was rejected. The call to follow boycott companies as outlined by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement was also rejected. The call to divest from Jasper Ridge was rejected as well, although UO invited up to five students to meet with the administration and the UO Foundation to learn about the foundation's approach to investment and hear students' perspectives.

The call for UO to release a statement in support of a ceasefire in Gaza was rejected. The team stated doing so would go against UO's view of not taking positions on political issues. Instead, it offered this statement:

"As a community of globally engaged faculty, students, and staff, we are anguished by the current humanitarian and hostage crisis in Gaza. We join with many around the world in mourning the tragic loss of innocent life starting on October 7th and throughout the long Israel-Palestine conflict. We also recognize the complex geopolitical issues that are at the root of this crisis. We hope for a rapid cessation of hostilities and the resumption of efforts to achieve peace in this troubled region.”

During the march and rally Friday, students expressed their disappointment in UO's offer and statement.

Diego Duarte, one of the encampment negotiators, said the protesters would have no problem outlasting the university. He said that while many encampments across the country have been disbanded due to arrests, protestor violence or the end of the academic year, UO is still going strong, with several weeks left in the term.

"It's not us against the university," Duarte said. "It is not our negotiators against the UO's negotiators. We are the University of Oregon."

ASUO passes BDS resolution

On Wednesday evening, The Associated Students of UO Senate passed a resolution calling upon the university to divest from companies that reportedly funnel funds to Israel and Jasper Ridge Partners.

This resolution passed with 15 of the 22 senators voting in favor of the resolution after meeting that lasted more than four hours. Six senators abstained and one voted against the resolution.

The resolution demanded UO to cease purchasing from companies currently on the BDS list including Sabra and HP "until a complete ceasefire and the end of war crimes perpetrated by Israel." It demanded divestment from Jasper Ridge Partners and any member companies of the military-industrial complex.

Via the resolution, ASUO will also form a new commission to address student demands regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This commission will extend invitations to representatives from UO Students for Justice in Palestine, UO Jewish Voices for Peace, UO Chabad, UO Hillel, student workers, graduate employees, ASUO representatives, classified staff and administrators.

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment celebrated the resolution last Wednesday night. It stated the resolution is an important step in getting its demands met.

"We will continue to protest, to negotiate, to talk, and to stand in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people," the encampment stated. "We hope the passing of this resolution shows the larger student body and the larger community that the goals of the encampment are not extraordinary, that it should not be radical to do everything possible to avoid funding a genocide."

Allegations of antisemitism

Some local groups have called for the dismantling of the encampment, citing a rise in antisemitism on college campuses across the U.S.

Ducks for Israel, Oregon Hillel, Chabad of Eugene, Jewish Federation of Lane County and the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland released a joint statement addressed to the UO administration and community, asking for action.

"Threats of violence cross the free speech line," the letter stated. "Amplified calls for intifada, from the river to the sea and advocating for violent uprisings are not acceptable."

The letter also called out the encampment's impact on academics, with several professors reportedly ending classes early and early closures of buildings like the Knight Library.

"It is imperative at this time that the safety concerns and fears of all Jewish students are taken seriously, and not pushed to the side," the letter stated.

Ducks for Israel also stated it was "grateful" to UO for providing clarity on its stance regarding the UO negotiations team statement sent out Thursday afternoon.

Representatives of the encampment have emphasized that antisemitism of any kind is not tolerated at the encampment. UO Jewish Voice for Peace is one of the organizing groups for the encampment.

"Without those Jewish students, we would not be here period," said LJ Smith, an encampment media liaison. "(Antisemitism) is something that is not tolerated within the camp. What we're here asking and demanding is divestment from the universities, because the Israeli occupation is committing a genocide in Gaza, not the Jewish people."

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: University of Oregon pro-Palestinian encampment marches through Johnson Hall