Princeton president promises to consider Israel divestment, says arrested students may be offered 'restorative justice'
Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber said that the institution would consider divestment from Israel, but told protesters that they must clear their encampment.
Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber said that the institution would consider divestment from Israel, but told protesters that they must clear their encampment.
According to a Monday email obtained by the Daily Princetonian, Eisgruber said that the Princeton University Community Resources Committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the divestment issue, including other demands made by protesters.
Organizers for the protest outlined in an April 25 Instagram post that they are also demanding Princeton divest from the U.S. military, engage on an academic and cultural boycott of Israel, create affiliations with Palestinian institutions, and calling for a permanent ceasefire.
”We are now letting the protestors know that they need to clear Cannon Green and respect the University’s need for it and other common spaces, so that the University may prepare for and produce end-of-year events,” wrote Eisgruber. “The sit-in makes it impossible to ready the green for Class Day and other events and has required large amounts of time from University staff members who have served selflessly, seven days a week, and are now needed for other purposes.”
Eisgruber, however, didn’t give a deadline for protesters to leave the encampment. Organizers of the anti-Israel occupation told the student newspaper that “Our demands remain the same. No other comment at this time.”
Eisgruber also wrote that the university may offer students arrested for protest-related activities a chance to participate in a “restorative justice program,” that would minimize the impact of the arrest while requiring students to accept responsibility.
The email from Princeton’s president follows several days of failed negotiations between administrators and encampment organizers.
Organizers wrote in a May 10 press release that the university isn’t making any progress on their demands.
“Instead of making tangible commitments, administrators backpedaled on opening negotiations and merely directed representatives to existing institutional processes,” they wrote.
