Discussions: Protesters, administrators meet Thursday evening to discuss demands
A group of people were packed in a room in Nelson Hall on Thursday. It was the fourth day of activists protesting the war in Gaza and occupying buildings at Cal Poly Humboldt. Two administrators were meeting with a group inside.
Since Monday, the entire campus has been shut down by the administration as a result of the protests. It appears the campus will remain closed through May 10, according to an email sent out by the university Friday.
The occupiers have five demands and activists said earlier this week they will not leave barricaded Siemans Hall until the demands are met. Jeff Crane, a dean at the university and Provost Jenn Capps sat in a circle among faculty, masked 19-year-olds, journalists, people donning keffiyehs and some pacing around in quasi-military-activist garb.
The aim to divest all funds from Cal Poly Humboldt's $51 million endowment away from Israel seems to be one of the more achievable and agreeable goals to administrators — the university has already reduced investments from fossil fuels in 2014, explained Crane. He called for students to work to create a model for other universities in divesting, noting at the meeting the process will take work as the financial system is complex, and companies are carried inside other securities and companies.
The university, in a document provided by administrators, said there are no direct investments of any companies or securities in the endowment. As for indirect investments, potential defense companies makes up less than 0.5% of the portfolio, with the number fluctuating as fund managers shift things around, ac
“Those who are staying in there are not staying in there for noble causes. They're criminals.”
— Tom Jackson, Cal Poly Humboldt president
cording to a document provided to protesters by the two. (This differed slightly from statements made to the Times-Standard by President Tom Jackson on Friday.) The document said the companies create components of industrial products. The securities are bundled in mutual funds and include software companies and banks. Activists have called for both divestment from “companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine,” and disclosure of holdings and collaborations with Israel.
Some at the meeting called for the administration to do something about CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) investments or the CSU's investments, not controlled by the university. Another student asked for sponsors and fundraisers to be made public.
“We don't disclose a lot of information about donors,” Crane noted.
Other demands of the activists were met with less success, at least at the Thursday night meeting. The university did not agree to waive punishments for the student occupiers.
“University policy and conduct violations will follow established procedures and there will be consequences for actions that violate policy or law. However, students who elect to evacuate the building and support efforts to clear the building will have their actions considered as a mitigating factor with those processes,” the document stated.
A news release from the university said “numerous laws have been broken, including resisting arrest, destroying and damaging property, criminal trespass, and more.”
The university told the LA Times and El Lenador News the damages have been in the millions. Visible damage (at least outside the occupied hall) seems to be fairly extensive graffiti, furniture moved around for barricades, locks picked and doors busted. A vandalized memorial bench was cleaned of graffiti earlier this week.
The time and place clause — which activists claim allows the university to call the police on protesters — will not be removed, the document said. The university tried to drive out the occupiers Monday night after they set up in a building with administrator's offices — the university evacuated the building, closed it off and called in droves of police officers from a variety of agencies who attempted to remove and arrest the protesters.
The activists have since reinforced barricades and dozens are in the building — with unconfirmed estimates ranging from 30 people to 100. Those outside the building have collected food for the occupiers and organized rallies, teach-ins and music.
The document said the university will not cut academic ties with Israeli universities — although it seems the main tie is a study abroad program with Haifa University in Israel, through the California State University international study abroad program. “The CSU IP Haifa program is not currently enrolling students,” the document states.
A demand for the university to issue a public ceasefire call and end to the occupation of Palestine was met with “Cal Poly Humboldt is committed to social justice and the graduation pledge to guide everyone's social and environmental consequences of their decisions. We are supportive of a peaceful and just world which affords the opportunity for all human beings to flourish and achieve their potential,” in the document.
The meeting's tensest point was when word arrived first more security was needed at the barricades. Then, a police siren pierced the air and the activists left the building in droves, leaving the administrators with a much smaller group of people. It was a false alarm but not many returned. Crane said that the meeting will be held at 4 p.m. daily in the building.
Housing, dining services, health and counseling services are open and it seems a number of buildings have been opened and are in use by students and faculty. The executive board of the CFA and the General Faculty body each have questioned the decision to close the entire campus, canceling events and all in-person classes in the last weeks in the semester. Those in attendance emphasized the protesters have been nonviolent, calling the police response an escalation.