UC Davis’ pro-Palestine encampment ends with university not meeting demands. ‘It’s a betrayal’
The group of pro-Palestinian protesters at UC Davis who erected an encampment opposing Israel’s tactics in the war in Gaza last month announced the demonstration’s conclusion Wednesday after their demands were not met.
UC Davis students, staff and community members — calling themselves the Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine — pitched about 20 tents in Memorial Quad, the heart of campus, on May 6.
The encampments’ peaceful end comes as police have been called to dismantle tents around the state. Protester Stanford McConnehey, a May graduate of UC Davis’ Law School, declined to say specifically when the tents will be dismantled. UC Davis’ academic year has concluded, and the campus was quiet Wednesday.
An encampment spokesperson said they recognized some of their stipulations were “beyond the scope of local authority,” but that UC Davis’ administration had agreed, in part, to add courses about Palestine; review UC Davis Foundation’s existing and future investments; and officially acknowledge alleged harassment encountered by Palestinians, Arab and followers of Islam at UC Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine.
The UC Office of the President and UC Regents, the governing body of the university system, forbid the UC Davis’ administration from signing any agreement, said Beshara Kehdi, a Ph.D candidate in the School of Cultural Studies on Wednesday. The UC administration didn’t want other schools to follow the example set at UC Davis and agree to other protesters’ demands, he said.
“It’s a betrayal,” Kehdi said. “It’s a betrayal of students — disappointment doesn’t express how devastated students in this campus are.”
Rachel Zaentz, a UC Office of the President spokeswoman, did not answer a question from The Sacramento Bee about its apparent intervention in the negotiations between UC Davis and protesters.
However, Zaentz wrote in a statement that the university has an obligation to protect the rights of students, faculty, staff and visitors. But the university must also guarantee students’ access to classes.
“The Office of the President coordinates with campus Chancellors to support their efforts to preserve a safe and respectful campus environment,” she continued. “UCOP will continue to fully support our campus leaders — who are working under difficult circumstances — with balancing the right of free expression alongside each student’s right to attend their classes.”
A UC Davis spokesman said the campus is likely to issue a statement about the encampment Thursday.
The protests coincided with work stoppages at multiple campuses as graduate students walked off the job on May 28. UC Davis academic workers — including post-doctoral students, teaching assistants, academic researchers and academic student employees — protested against the UC administration’s handling of pro-Palestine campus protests across California and alleged unfair labor practices.
An Orange County judge on June 7 ordered the UC union workers to halt its strike at six campuses, because the walkout appeared to be causing “damage to students’ education” during the critical end of the term when finals are taken, according to the LA Times.
The protesters also sought Chancellor Gary May to resign from the board of directors for defense contractor Leidos or resign from his university post, according to The Sacramento Bee’s past reporting.
May has served as a director for the Virginia-based firm — which provides engineering and technical services in the aerospace, defense, health care and IT industries — since 2015.
It’s also unclear if protesters will continue their demonstrations as the new academic year begins. McConnehey said those discussions are underway.
“(The) next ball is in their hands and we’re going to support them no matter what,” he said.
