Anti-Israel student activists renew calls for divestment from Israel's 'genocide'
Anti-Israel students at the University of Connecticut recently held a protest to demand a meeting with the school president so that they can directly advocate divestment from Israel.
Students reportedly chanted, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' and chalked sidewalks with slogans such as 'Protesting is not a crime,' and 'Arrest Netanyahu, not students.'
Anti-Israel students at the University of Connecticut (UConn) recently held a protest to demand a meeting with the school president so that they can directly advocate divestment from companies that have connections to Israel.
Students chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” and chalked sidewalks with slogans such as “Protesting is not a crime,” and “Arrest Netanyahu, not students,” according to the Hartford Courant. The protest took place on Sept. 16 and reportedly lasted around five hours.
“One of UConn’s strengths is the diversity of opinions among the 32,000-plus students across its campuses statewide,” UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz told Campus Reform with regards to the recent pro-Palestine protest. “The University respects the rights of students to gather and express themselves peacefully on any topics they wish.”
Leftist student groups like UConnDivest, the Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and UConn’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter (SJP) took to Instagram on Sept. 15 to promote the demonstration against the “genocide in Palestine.”
“At the beginning of the [semester], we set a deadline for admin to give us a meeting with President Radenka Maric to negotiate cutting ties with the genocide of Palestinians and dropping charges against the 26 student activists arrested for peacefully protesting,” the groups posted.
“This week, UConn decided it wouldn’t listen to us,” they continued. “So let’s make sure they hear the movement for divestment and a free Palestine!”
“Wear your keffiyeh, bring a sign, and wear a mask,” they added.
Campus Reform reported in August that in response to anti-Israel protests during the spring semester, UConn revised its conduct policies to explicitly prohibit student demonstrators from creating encampments on university grounds.
“No outdoor activity is permitted to disrupt another outdoor activity. To minimize/avoid disruption, University officials may direct one or more outdoor activities to relocate,” UConn’s policy states. “Failure to comply with this or other directives will be considered a violation of University policies and subject to sanctions.”
In July, Campus Reform reported that more than a dozen anti-Israel UConn students and alumni were arrested during a protest in April.
“Instead of supporting students services and university employees,” the school’s SJP chapter stated at the time, “UConn prefers to sic the cops on peaceful protesters for daring to question its ties to the war industry and the genocidal Zionist entity.”
