On April 29, 2024, approximately 100

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

students established a camp on the Eugene campus to support Palestinians in Gaza and demanding action from administrators. As part of the

2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses escalated from April 2024 until the summer, spreading List of pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the United States in 2024, in the United States and List of pro-Palestinian p ...

, demonstrators requested for the university to divest from “the state of Israel, Israeli companies, and any weapons or surveillance manufacturing.”

Background

Timeline

May 1

On May 1, the University of Oregon president, Karl Scholz, made a statement regarding the encampment. While explicitly supporting the student right to protest and exchange ideas, he criticized protester demands for divestment as having a "performative aspect." Despite this, 74 university faculty and staff have signed an open letter in support of the encampment.

May 5–6

By May 5, the encampment had grown to nearly 150 tents. On the afternoon of May 6, encampment spokespersons alleged that they had received a letter from university administrators threatening to revoke academic amnesty from protesters should the camp remain the following day at noon. This came amidst complaints from some Jewish students among whom the encampment had caused discomfort. In response to this, one protester stated that the demonstration calls for formal protection for Jewish students, and that Jewish student-represented organizations such as

Jewish Voice for Peace Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP; ) is an American Jewish anti-Zionist and left-wing advocacy organization. It is critical of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign ag ...

have helped in setting up the encampment.

May 15–16

On May 15, the first criminal charge in relation to the occupation was handed to a student protestor for applying posters to campus buildings. On May 16, the encampment relocated to

Johnson Hall Johnson Hall State Historic Site was the home of Sir William Johnson (1715–1774) an Irish pioneer who became the influential British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York, known for his strong relationship especially ...

and a total of 17 meetings were held between the protestors and various representatives and negotiation teams from the university.

May 22

On May 22, the protestors came to an agreement with the University of Oregon negotiation team. This agreement included the end of Sabra Hummus sales on campus, a new Middle Eastern North African cultural space on campus, new initiatives to expand opportunities for Palestinian scholars to study at University of Oregon, the creation of the UO Senate Working Group on Ethical Investment, Purchasing & Contracting, and a ceasefire statement to be made by President John Karl Scholz.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:University of Oregon pro-Palestinian campus occupation, 2024 2024 in Oregon Oregon, University of

April 2024 in the United States Protests in Oregon May 2024 in the United States Pro-Palestinian campus occupation