Universities in California with Israel–Hamas war protests in April 2024. Universities that had encampments are marked in green, and non-encampment protests are marked in blue.
The different protests' varying demands include
severing financial ties with Israel, transparency over financial ties, an end to partnerships with Israeli institutions,[15] and
amnesty for protesters.[16] Universities have suspended and expelled student protesters, in some cases evicting them from campus housing.[5][17][18] Some universities have relied on police to forcibly disband encampments and end occupations of buildings,[19] others made agreements with protesters for encampments to be dismantled,[20]; and a number of universities have cut ties with Israeli institutions, or companies involved with Israel and its
occupied territories.[b] The occupations have also resulted in the closure of
Columbia University,[27]Cal Poly Humboldt,[28] and the
University of Amsterdam;[29]rolling strikes by academic workers on campuses in California;[30] and the cancellation of a few university graduation ceremonies in the U.S., with protests occurring at various ceremonies.[31][32]
University of California
"UAW ON Strike" signs
Strike
On May 15, members of
United Auto Workers Local 4811, the
union representing 48,000 graduate students on 10 campuses in the
University of California system voted to authorize a
strike because the university unfairly change policies and discriminated against students who were exercising their right to
free speech and created an
unsafe work environment by allowing attacks on protesters. The authorization does not guarantee a strike, but allows the executive board to call a
stand up strike at any time.[33][34] The first of such strikes began on May 20 at
UC Santa Cruz, by academic workers over; labor practices, the police response to the protests, and the arrest of union members involved in protests.[35] The University applied to the state labor board for an
injunction against the strike, but it was rejected on May 23.[36] On May 28, the second week of rolling strikes began at UC Davis and UCLA.[37] The third week of the strike is scheduled to begin on June 3 at UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.[38]
On June 3, the associate vice president for systemwide labor relations at UC stated: "UC will file a breach of contract action against UAW in state court as a next step."[39] The same day, the Public Employment Relations Board rejected UC's call for an inunction a second time. The request did not meet the high burden of
irreparable harm if the strike is allowed to continue.[40]
Student protesters put up more than a dozen tents on
Sproul Plaza at
University of California, Berkeley, stating they would remain until the university divested from companies involved with the war. University officials pledged to remove protesters who put up tents or "disrupted academic activity" by force.[43] On May 14, the encampment at Sproul Plaza was dismantled by protesters after reaching an agreement with chancellor Carol Christ to begin efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire.[44]
On May 15, protesters setup an encampment at an abandoned building at the
Anna Head complex on campus.[45] On May 16, at least a dozen protesters were arrested by police from multiple jurisdictions.[44] The occupied building was 130 years old and a member of a local preservation society raised concerns that it might be irreparably damaged.[46][47]
On May 1, a protest was also held at the
University of California, Davis.[48] On May 6, an encampment was set up at UC Davis.[49] On May 29, the 23rd day of the encampment, academic workers with UAW local 4811 went on strike as part of the UC system-wide standup strike.[50]
On May 15, over 40 protesters at UC Irvine were arrested after they briefly occupied a lecture hall. Responding agencies included UCI Police,
CHP,
Orange County Sheriff's Department, and local police from
Santa Ana,
Fullerton and the city of
Orange.[53] The solidarity encampment was dismantled and classes were cancelled the next day.[54]
In the early morning of May 1, pro-Israel counter protesters from outside the campus attacked the pro-Palestinian protesters' barricade, in an attempt to tear down the encampment.[61][62] The group included people wielding sticks, poles, and metal fencing. The group also used fireworks and pepper spray, and bear spray during the attack. The
LAPD allowed attacks on the encampment by counterprotestors to continue for four hours before intervening.[63][64] During the attack, the pro-Israel group chanted "Second
Nakba," referring to the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes by Israeli forces in 1948.[65][66] The following day, police dismantled the encampment, arresting 132 protesters and shooting multiple protestors at close range with
rubber bullets.[67][68] On May 28, academic workers at UCLA joined the UC system wide
rolling strike.[69]
On June 11, protesters attempted to re-establish encampments at UCLA but were met by more rubber bullets.[70]
On May 12, student
SJP organizers at UC Merced set up an encampment in anticipation of a meeting by the
Regents of the University of California in the university.[72] On May 15, during the 2nd day of the Board of Regents meeting, the students were joined by students from the
University of California, Berkeley, alongside other groups from the
San Francisco Bay Area, totaling the encampment to over 100 people.[73][74] On May 16, six members of the Board of Regents met with protestors in the student encampment to discuss divestment from companies with ties to Israel.[75][76][77]
UC Riverside
The UCR statue at UC Riverside adorned with pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist symbols
On May 3, UC Riverside announced that the university will create a task force which will explore the removal of the university's endowment from the UC Investments Office with consideration of companies involved in arms manufacturing and delivery and to present a report to the university's board of trustees by the end of the Winter 2025 quarter. The university also announced that its School of Business will terminate its trips to Israel,[c] and that the university will modify its approval process for all study abroad programs to ensure their compliance with the university's anti-discrimination policies. In turn, protest organizers have agreed to end the occupation of the area around the bell tower by that midnight.[79][80]
On May 6, more than 100 police officers cleared the encampment at UC San Diego, arresting at least 64 people. The students in the group were immediately suspended.[82][83] That afternoon a large protest started gathering at
Price Center on campus.[84] Another protest demanding the release of the students outside of the San Diego County Jail downtown numbered in the hundreds.[85]
On May 8, thousands of students at UCSD held a walkout to protest the 64 arrested during the clearing of the encampment earlier in the week.[86][87][88][89] More than 100 demonstrators marched to Chancellor
Pradeep Khosla's home off campus.[90]
On May 13, "Tritons for Israel" hosted a speech by
Mosab Hassan Yousef, a former Israeli undercover agent and son of a Hamas founder at UCSD. A coalition of religious leaders including the
imam of the "Islamic Center of San Diego" condemning the speaker for "
islamophobia." UCSS said it does not tolerate either islamophobia or anti-semitism, but it also cannot
censor or ban groups because of the
First Amendment.[91]
On May 15, hundreds marched through UCSD to commemorate the 76th anniversary of
Nakba, the displacement and ethnic cleansing that took place day after the state of Israel
declared its independence.[92][93]
UAW strike, week 3, at UCSD
On May 16, the San Diego Faculty Association attempted to deliver two petitions to chancellor
Pradeep Khosla calling for student amnesty and contradicting the University position that encampment members were violent, that the majority of the encampment was not made up of "
outside agitators" and that they did not block the Library walk from non-protest related traffic. The petitioners were prevented from entering the building where his Khosla's office is believed to be.[94]
On June 3, thousands of academic workers at UCSD joined week 3 of the UC-wide
stand-up strike. Speakers rallied a crowd in front of the
Geisel Library followed by marching around campus.
United Auto Workers called the strike because the University system "condoned and used violence against its own workers" when the police were used to take down encampments at various campuses including UCSD.[39][95]
Hundreds of people occupied an administration building at the
University of California, Santa Barbara on April 25; tents were set up inside the building but no occupation was planned, according to an organizer, and no police were present.[97] On May 13, a die-in protest occurred in front of the Paseo West library. As of May 14, 105 tents were still standing at the encampment between North Hall and the Davidson Library.[98]
On May 15, the student government president filed a complaint with the
U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights over "severe and persistent anti-Semitic bullying and harassment on campus by her peers, based on her Jewish shared ancestry and ethnicity".[99]
UC Santa Cruz
On May 1, two protests were held at the
University of California, Santa Cruz. One was in support of labor reform while the other called for the University of California to divest. The two protests merged into a singular protest, which ended with an encampment being set up near a campus bookstore.[100]
On May 10, students at the 10-day-old Gaza solidarity encampment at UC Santa Cruz's Quarry Plaza announced that negotiations with the university for long term divestment from Israel are breaking down and they are bracing for police violence.[101][102]
On May 17,
U.A.W. 4811 announced that about 2000 of their workers at UCSC would be the first to go on a
stand-up strike starting Monday because of alleged infringements on the student's rights to free speech as well as
Unfair labor practices.[103] UCSC workers were the first to strike on May 20.[35]
On May 31, police broke up the solidarity encampment.[104] An estimated 117 demonstrators were arrested by police in riot gear.[105][106][107]
California State University
Cal Poly Humboldt
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adding to it. (June 2024)
The campus of
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Northern California was shut down by officials on April 22 after students occupied two university buildings, Siemen's Hall and Nelson Hall East, and barricaded their entrances.[108] On April 26, the university closed the campus for the remainder of the semester with classes conducted remotely due to the occupation.[109][110] On April 30, police officers were invited to the campus to clear the encampment, 25 arrests were made.[111]
On May 3, Cal Poly Humboldt announced that it would be holding it commencement ceremonies off-campus, and with increased security detail. On May 11, graffiti appeared on many of the schools' entrance gates, making them say "Cal Poly Humboldt Supports Genocide". Cal Poly Humboldt President President
Tom Jackson Jr. did not attend any commencement ceremonies.[112]
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
On May 1, about 70 people participated in a
die-in was held at
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.[113][114] On May 9, more than a hundred students, faculty and staff held a walkout and another die-in on Dexter Lawn calling for a ceasefire and divestment.[115] Protesters published a 25-page list of demands.[116]
A march was held at
California State University, Bakersfield on May 8. Prior to the protest, a lone doctoral student stood in front of the student holding a Palestinian flag until a crowd began to gather around her.[117][118]
On April 29 protests organized by SJP were held at
California State University, Fullerton.[120] The protest took place a week after the Associated Students government body of CSUF unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza;[121] and a day after another event organized by "Palestinian Christians for Justice" took place in town nearby.[122]
More protests were held by Titan YDSA on May 8, and an all-day community session was held by SJP CSUF on May 9. The Titan YDSA protests led to the University administration sending out an email stating that it would not pursue divestment.
On May 1, protests were held at
California State University, Northridge, both in support of Palestine and for International Workers' Day. Musician and leftist activist
Tom Morello attended the protest and performed for students.[131]
On April 29, nearly 200 protesters, organized by SJP, held a rally in front of the Kellogg library at
California State University San Marcos.[133] Another rally organized by SJP took place on May 9. Pro-Israeli counter-protesters tried to engage with the pro-Palestinian group, but the protesters did not engage and the rally ended peacefully.[134]
Chico State
On May 1, protests were held at
California State University, Chico, both in support of Palestine and for
International Workers' Day.[135] On May 6, SJP and some other student organizations held a walkout and teach-in on campus. On May 9, Chico State Academic Senate passed two
resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Palestine.[136]
Sacramento State President
J. Luke Wood declared that while they did not currently have any investments that profit from genocide, they would be making an annual review of such investments in the future. Students at the encampment were permitted to stay until midnight on May 8.[142]
On May 17, an eight-day old encampment was ended by protesters after negotiations with the administration took place. Wood did not immediately disclose the terms of the agreement, citing preoccupation with the upcoming commencement ceremony.[143]
On April 30, Students for Justice in Palestine organized a walkout at
San Diego State University to protest spending on "weapons corporations that kill Palestinians."[144][145][146] About 1,000 people rallied near
Hepner Hall and marched to the Student union without incident.[147]
Protest art on the campus of San Diego State University where
KPBS studios broadcast from.
San Francisco State
On April 29, an encampment was established at Malcolm X Plaza at
San Francisco State University.[148][149] On May 13, President
Lynn Mahoney announced: "We will support the addition of a human rights-based investment strategy, including divesting from direct investments in weapons manufacturers and limiting other such indirect investments." Students then began to dismantle the fifteen day old encampment.[150][151]
Protests continued on campus,[154] when on May 13, an encampment was established on the lawn around the Victory Salute statue.[155][156] One of the encampment's demands was the firing of history professor Johnathan Roth after a physical altercation between himself and a pro-Palestine protestor in February 2024.[157][158] On May 14, the University communicated with the protestors about their demands but asserted that the encampment had to be disbanded before finals began on May 15.[159]
On May 21, the protestors met with University President
Cynthia Teniente-Matson and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Mari Fuentes-Martin to discuss the protestors' demands. Teniente-Matson suggested the creation of a student advisory council composed of students from Middle Eastern student organizations that would work with faculty to address concerns of university partnerships with Israel. Following these talks, the encampment was dismantled on May 23.[160]
Sonoma State
On April 26, tents went up at
Sonoma State University in
Rohnert Park for an encampment organized by SJP.[161] On May 14, president Ming-Tung "Mike" Lee met with protesters and agreed to their demands to pursue divestment in Israel. He also made a statement: "SSU will not pursue or engage in any
study abroad programs, faculty exchanges, or other formal collaborations that are sponsored by, or represent, the Israeli state academic and research institutions."[162] But on May 15, he was placed on
leave by the for
insubordination and sending out the announcement "without appropriate approvals" according to CSU Chancellor
Mildred García.[163]
Claremont Colleges
On April 5, 2024,
Pomona College, a member of the
Claremont Colleges in
Claremont, had 19 demonstrators occupying the president's office after an encampment was dismantled arrested,[164] prompting protests and condemnations.[165] On April 27, three demonstrations were held at three of the Claremont Colleges during alumni events at the schools. At 10:00 am, around 36 protesters disrupted a speech by
Harvey Mudd College president
Harriet Nembhard. At 3:15 pm, around 50 protesters formed a blockade during a parade at Pomona. About half an hour later, an encampment was set up at
Pitzer College during a music and food festival.[166] The encampment at Pitzer dispersed on May 5 after the college agreed to share information about the institution's investments. The day after, another encampment formed at Pomona.[167]
Pomona College's administrators decided to move their commencement ceremony forty miles away due to the risk of disruptions caused by the protesters.[168] When protesters showed up to the
Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles before the ceremony took place, police and security personnel repelled them violently.[169][170]
Private Schools
CalArts
On May 8 at the
California Institute of the Arts, the president agreed to discussions of divestment after a petition garnered over 1,000 signatures.[171]
On April 15, protests started at
Loyola Marymount University after its Associated Students board vetoed a bylaw that would have boycotted companies believed to support Israel.[174][175] Protests continued through the university's commencement on May 4.[176]
Occidental
On April 29, encampments were set up at
Occidental College in
Eagle Rock.[177] More than 100 students established their encampment in front of the Arthur G. Coons Administration Center, claiming they would remain there until the administration meets its demands for ceasefire and divestment from Israel.[178] On May 7, the board of trustees agreed to vote on the protesters' demands.[179]
On May 16, a pro-Palestinian
occupation protest and a
hunger strike organized by SJP took over a chapel at
Saint Mary's College of California. One day later, a college spokesperson announced that they had reached an agreement with the protesters and the occupation would voluntarily end.[181]
Pro Palestine protest and encampment at Stanford University
On April 25, an encampment was set up at
Stanford University.[183] About 450 protesters participated in a march, a sit-in and an encampment organized by "Stanford Against Apartheid in Palestine (SAAP)" at White Plaza.[184][185] A coalition of students created after the university had previously dismantled a 120-day-old sit-in protest in February.[186]
On May 12, a crowd of about 2000 pro-Israel protesters waved flag and heard speakers from many faiths at what was called an "interfaith" rally against antisemitism and terrorism near the encampmen. The rally was organized by a Jewish student organization called the
L'Chaim Club.[187] SAAP organizers held a counter-protest rally where they claimed the other rally was meant to intimidate the encampment. Stanford University Police and
Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies separated the groups.[188]
On April 29, about 600 protesters attended a rally and marched around campus.[189] Afterwards, students at
University of San Francisco established a solidarity encampment they named the "Popular University for Gaza" calling for divestment from genocide.[190] On May 14, about 50 tents were still occupying Welch Field when the university officials issued an ultimatum to leave or face discipline. The University have agreed to several of the students' demands, but students did not dismantle the encampment when the deadline came.[191]
The
University of Southern California (USC) canceled a pro-Palestinian student's valedictorian speech citing a need to "maintain campus safety and security" after pro-Israel groups accused her of antisemitism.[192][193] Some student organizations, including the editorial team of USC's student newspaper, criticized the choice to cancel the speech.[194][195] The decision was followed by protests,[196] with students
attempting to establish an encampment.[197] About 93 people were arrested during the night of April 24 including one arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, with no reports of injuries.[198][197] USC later canceled many of its speakers for commencement before canceling the commencement altogether, citing safety concerns.[199]
On May 7, students and faculty at
San Diego City College held a walkout protest in solidarity with the people of Palestine. They marched on a circuitous route that ended in the delivery of a petition asking the administration to stop serving
Starbucks products on campus.[203]
^Although the agreement included other places as well, the School of Business had ceased to conduct trips to those places years prior but included them into the agreement[citation needed]
^"US college protests: Who are the student groups and others involved". Reuters. April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024. Among the lead student groups in the coalition are the Columbia chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. The two decades-old anti-Zionism advocacy groups that protest Israel's military occupation have chapters across the country that have been key to protests on other campuses.
^Treisman, Rachel (May 1, 2024).
"How some faculty members are defending student protesters, in actions and in words". NPR.
Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024. It's one of several schools around the country where professors are getting arrested at demonstrations, circulating letters in support of arrested protesters and holding no-confidence votes in their administrations.
Makoii, Akhtar (2024-05-08).
"Pro-Palestinian protesters project 'student intifada' slogan onto university". The Telegraph.
Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-09. Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University on Wednesday after protesters projected a US flag in flames and slogans including "Long live the student intifada" onto a building overnight.
Alvarez, Maximillian (2024-05-03).
"Inside the 'Student Intifada': A roundtable with campus organizers". The Real News Network.
Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-09. It is being called the Student Intifada, a grassroots protest movement spreading to different college and university campuses around the country involving students at over a hundred campuses, setting up encampments, occupations and protests (...)
Starr, Michael (2024-05-07).
"'Student intifada here to stay': Harvard activists defy suspension threat". The Jerusalem Post.
Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-09. Anti-Israel activists groups defied Harvard University warnings that their protest encampment must dissolve under threat of suspension, proclaiming the campus occupation movement a "student intifada" in a press conference on Monday.