University of Oregon caved to pro-Hamas protesters. One anti-Israel activist called it a ‘good start’
The concessions include a statement from UO leadership calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War.
‘We have a lot of work to do. Don't get the sense that we're going anywhere anytime soon because we're just getting started,’ one anti-Israel activist said.
May 23 marked the end of the anti-Israel encampment at the University of Oregon, as the school administration agreed to several of the protestors’ demands as conditions for them to end the demonstration.
“I am writing to inform you that we have reached an agreement with student demonstrators,” UO President Karl Scholz wrote in a May 23 statement. “As a result, the students have announced that they will voluntarily remove the encampment by 9:00 p.m. this evening.”
The encampment lasted for weeks before the anti-Israel activists came to an agreement.
A couple hundred students and employees with the pro-Palestinian encampment at UO performed a “die-in” protest in front of the Johnson Hall Administrative Building after administration rejected the groups request for public negotiations, according to organizers. pic.twitter.com/EmqY8s3CR2
— Miranda Cyr (@mirandabcyr) May 10, 2024
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Concessions from the university included commitments to release a statement calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War, founding a task force to “discuss how the university makes decisions regarding product purchasing, sourcing, and investments,” and seeking “opportunities to support scholars and students whose universities are affected by the conflict in Gaza,” specifically through the “Scholars at Risk and Welcome Campus” programs.
Scholz also said the university will be expanding its Middle Eastern studies program as part of the agreement.
“We have long intended to build our offerings in contemporary Middle Eastern studies at the UO. Our College of Arts and Sciences has taken steps to address that gap by hiring two outstanding scholars in this field who will arrive in the fall,” Scholz wrote. “As resources are available, we look forward to continuing to build additional strength in this area as part of our institutional hiring plan, working with deans, the provost, and others.”
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“It’s a good start,” said anti-Israel protestor Salem Younes. “We have a lot of work to do. Don’t get the sense that we’re going anywhere anytime soon because we’re just getting started. This year was just the beginning for the Palestine movement, not only in Eugene but on campus.”
Another anti-Israel student activist, Diego Duarte, expressed his thoughts that the concessions marked a success for the anti-Israel movement at the school: “The U.S. still has some complicity in genocide, and we need to deal with that. But this is a big step forward for the university and for Palestine.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Oregon for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
