Greater than 100 College of Southern California college students erected tents, banners and indicators within the heart of campus Wednesday, becoming a member of in a rising nationwide sit-in motion throughout faculty campuses, as pro-Palestinian activists demand that universities name for a everlasting ceasefire within the Israel-Hamas struggle and divest from ties to weapons producers with ties to Israel.
The encampment in Alumni Park — the place the college’s main-stage graduation is scheduled to happen subsequent month — went up earlier than dawn and grew into the late morning as college students, carrying keffiyahs and holding “free Palestine” and “liberated zone” indicators, banged drums and chanted.
“Disclose! Divest! We is not going to cease we is not going to relaxation!” stated the gang, which billed itself in a press release because the”USC Divest from Dying Coalition.”
“Carol, Carol, you’ll be able to’t cover! You’re supporting genocide!” went one other chant, a reference to USC President Carol Folt.
Protesters included members of pro-Palestinian teams resembling Trojans for Palestine, College students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace.
The USC encampment joined a rising variety of student-led demonstrations in school campuses since final week, when greater than 100 arrests at an ongoing camp-in at Columbia College spurred solidarity protests at universities from Massachusetts to California.
An encampment at UC Berkeley is in its third day, whereas the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata is shut down by means of Wednesday, after college students occupied an administration constructing Monday evening. Police have additionally arrested activists at Yale College, New York College, and the College of Minnesota.
Tensions have grown at schools because the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, which killed 1,200 individuals and took about 240 hostages. Gaza well being authorities say Israel’s retaliatory struggle has has killed greater than 34,000 Palestinians. In response to the United Nations, 2 million Gazans are in near-famine circumstances.
On Wednesday, the tents at USC repeatedly went up and down, as officers with the campus Division of Public Security informed college students to take away them and, at one level, dragged away garden chairs. College students picked up their tents and walked with them in circles to keep away from being in violation of a “no tenting” college coverage. Not less than two LAPD helicopters circled above Alumni Park.
The protest at USC comes after greater than per week of campus tensions that started when Folt canceled a talking engagement by valedictorian Asna Tabassum that was speculated to happen on the Could 10 main-stage graduation, which is predicted to attract 65,000 individuals.
The choice got here after on- and off-campus pro-Israel teams criticized Tabassum for posting a pro-Palestinian hyperlink on her Instagram bio that stated was antisemitic. USC stated the cancellation was not tied to Tabassum’s political opinions and was as a substitute in response to unspecified threats to campus security focused at her speech. The college has additionally canceled a main-stage graduation deal with by director Jon M. Chu and appearances by honorary diploma recipients, together with tennis star Billie Jean King.
“Everybody, from our valedictorian Asna Tabassum all the best way to any scholar who speaks up towards genocide, ought to have the total help of the college, opposite to what we’re seeing, which was unbelievable repression,” stated Ahmad, a Palestinian American protester with the Palestinian Youth Motion who wouldn’t share his final title. “The college has to this date not stated a phrase about our households, the genocide we’re experiencing in Gaza.”
A number of professors additionally joined the protest on Wednesday, holding an indication that stated, “USC school towards the genocide in Palestine.” Considered one of them was Amelia Jones, a professor on the Roski College of Artwork and Design.
“That is about what’s taking place in Gaza but it surely’s additionally about what’s taking place right here,” stated Jones. “They pulled a scholar from graduation for nothing she truly stated or did. But a college is meant be a spot of free speech. We haven’t heard a phrase from our president about something. We really feel unheard and disconnected.”
In a press release, the USC administration stated it believed the demonstrators — most of whom appeared undergraduate aged — weren’t from USC.
“The college has a coverage that prohibits tenting on campus, which is within the Pupil Handbook. About 10-15 individuals got here to campus at 4:30 a.m. in the present day with tents. DPS officers suggested them of the coverage, and the individuals took the tents down” the assertion stated.
“The individuals stay in Alumni Park — most gave the impression to be unaffiliated with the college,” the assertion continued. “Our college students, school and workers are allowed to specific their views and have been doing so all through the college yr.”
