Students around the country are protesting the genocide of Palestinians, setting up encampments on campus where they will be staying until their respective universities divest from giving money to Israel.
Student Victoria Rosales, freshman at UC Berkeley and Mission High graduating class of ‘23, said this about the protesting at her school a few weeks ago:
“There’s many tents and people in the main areas of campus protesting and I feel like it’s a hassle just to go through to get to libraries just because they’ve blocked off the whole Sather Gate [a main walkway at UC Berkeley] and we have to find a longer route to get where we want. It’s also a bit scary because seeing what’s happening at UCLA. And lately I don’t want to go to campus because I feel like I’m putting my safety at risk.”
Students feel like they should have a say in where their tuition Money goes. If it’s going to companies who support Israel, they’re going to protest.
Another concern among Jewish students and others is that pro-Palestinian protesting is turning into hate for Jewish people and Israel, with anti-Zionist posters and flags.
Some Jewish students say their parents tell them not to go to campus because they are concerned for their safety.
A second year student from UC Berkeley, Isa, said:
“There’s a lot of different stuff going on here, there’s the encampments, and multiple protests a week. There’s also lectures, where Palestinian grad students will lecture for hours on the intersectionality of oppressive structures and their creation. During this time people will sit on the ground in Sproul Plaza and listen for as long as they have time. It’s a great way for students who can’t stay in the encampment to participate in daily protests.”
She also added:
“This space is by far the most diverse community I’ve ever seen in UCB. One of the things that stands out most to me is the artistic creativity of the group. This isn’t really a priority at Berkeley but the encampment is surrounded by artwork from chalk work covering the plaza to murals on the encampment barricade. There’s also been violence, not nearly as much as In UCLA, Austin, or Columbia, but there have been Zionist protests and attacks, though I have not seen any police protests.”
In recent news an encampment at UC Berkeley was raided as police violently cracked down on protesting, 12 people were arrested at the encampment after refusing to leave, CHP and local sheriff’s office surrounded the group and told them to leave and when everyone stayed they went in and started making arrests.
We don’t know how or if these protests will even affect the war but these protesting students say they aren’t going to stop until their respective schools have zero support and zero funding for Israel. Some schools made agreements with their schools to take down encampments, but others refused despite police raids.
