The Daily Emerald is providing live coverage of the University of Oregon’s pro-Palestine encampment, which began on April 29 at 7 a.m. All of our coverage on the encampment can be found here.

Updated 11:52 p.m.

As the 12th day of the encampment comes to a close, all is quiet. Many participants took part in the Native American Student Union’s Mother’s Day Powwow activities at MacArthur Court. Others stayed around camp and viewed the Northern Light sights visible from the encampment. 

The ASUO Spring Street Faire marked its third and final day. Besides for a couple of marches throughout the faire from encampment members, both events coexisted with minimal disruption to either. 

There are no known negotiations or events scheduled for tomorrow. Tomorrow marks President Scholz two day deadline to leave the camp in exchange for multiple offers to encampment participants. 

Encampment participants have made it clear they will not be accepting the university’s offer nor will they be leaving the encampment. It is unclear what actions , if any, the university will take once the deadline passes. 

In an interview with the Emerald this afternoon, UO President John Karl Scholz did not rule out the possibility of police presence in removing the encampment. He said he is placing priority on the safety of all students. 

The Mother’s Day Powwow will continue throughout the weekend. 

Updated 7:19 p.m.

UO President John Karl Scholz sat down for a joint interview with the Daily Emerald and KLCC earlier today discussing the ongoing UO Coalition for Palestine encampment on the university’s Memorial Quad.

Topics discussed included the potential use of police force on students in the encampment, the university’s policies on divestment and taking a “political stance” on the war in Gaza, antisemitism and the student conduct code process.

Scholz did not say whether police force would be used to break up the encampment, and did not offer any “red lines” as to when he might order a police presence. He was also non-specific on student conduct code proceedings, but said that the university was “not in a punishment mindset.”

Scholz also reiterated his previous remarks on divestment, saying that it “has really no meaningful consequences.” Scholz also continued to endorse “institutional neutrality” and said that he would not have issued a statement condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the university did in 2022 when Michael Schill was president.

Scholz also said that “context matters” when it comes to characterizing certain controversial phrases — like “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — as antisemitic.

The full transcript of the interview with Scholz can be found here. 

Updated 4:03 p.m.

In an email at 3:47 p.m, UO President John Karl Scholz once again asked students to leave the encampment, citing safety concerns for encampment members and the “disruption of the educational enterprise” Scholz alleges is caused by the encampment.

“I worry for our students in the encampment,” read the statement.  “We prohibit overnight camping on the UO campus for good reasons: there are health and safety issues that arise with extended outdoor camping; there are also exceptionally challenging security concerns that arise.”

On the topic of negotiations, Scholz said that there has been no “substantive response” or efforts at “constructive engagement” from coalition representatives during the first 12 days of the encampment. 

“In the distressing absence of progress on the ground, it is tempting to use the power of language to bolster a moral argument,” Scholz said. “However, it is unproductive to do so in defense of an organization that has enshrined in its founding principles the call for the obliteration of a people.”

In a follow up conversation with the Emerald, UO spokespersons Angela Seydel and Eric Howald clarified that the organization Scholz referred to was the Hamas militant group, responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

According to Howald, Scholz intended to clarify that any potential statement from the university condemning the Israeli response to the October 7 attack could be viewed as a message of support for Hamas. Therefore, “while tempting,” he would not issue a statement calling for a ceasefire, or condemning Israeli military action in Gaza. 

[Update: Howald reached out following publication to clarify his statement. “President Scholz was not tempted to make a statement,” Howard said.”Only that it is generally tempting to take a side on complex issues and that condemning one side implies you approve of the other.”]  

Scholz further reiterated that the university would not divest from companies on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions list, claiming that BDS was not the answer to the suffering in Palestine or Israel. Protesters have demanded divestment from Sabra Hummus and Hewlett-Packard, as well as Jasper Ridge Partners, where the UO Foundation holds a $2.8 billion investment.

“Unfortunately, data show almost no effect from efforts like BDS on either easing the suffering of non-combatants or a swifter end to hostilities,” Scholz said.

There was no mention in the email of a further deadline given to encampment members to vacate the camp. 

“To me, it seems like, you know, he’s issued a couple of deadlines beyond which students are going to be subjected to various disciplinary procedures,” UO history professor and UO Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine member Ellen Herman said. “There appears to be no such additional warning of something like that in this most recent message. [There is] a lot of talk about the importance of free speech, which we certainly applaud him for and agree with.”

Updated 2:19 p.m.

The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation released a statement warning against “attacks on protected academic free speech” at UO, accusing the university of “encourag[ing] students to report instructors” covering politically divisive topics.

The statement from the union, which represents the university’s graduate employees,  indicates that the university has discouraged instructors discussing “current events on campus,” and have encouraged students to report instructors for doing so. It references two May 6 statements from the university. One, from Interim Vice President for Student Life Kris Winter, said that “no student should be encouraged or compelled by UO employees to be exposed to the protest or encampment” and reminded “faculty and teaching staff of their instruction obligations.” Another, emailed to faculty and staff from Chief Human Resources Officer Mark Schmelz, “reinforce[d] expectations related to expressing a political position or supporting political activity.”

GTFF said that it had noted “a significant uptick in instructors contacted by higher area administrators” about political discussions in their classes since the emails were sent. The statement cited courses in Indigenous, race and ethnic studies, women’s, gender and sexuality studies, political science and sociology, among other disciplines, as ones which require discussion of “highly politicized topics.”

“The intimidating emails sent out by the University of Oregon administration, the forms of surveillance they threaten against instructors, and their guilty-until-proven-innocent tone are unacceptable,” the statement said.

The Emerald has reached out to the university for comment.

Updated 11:51 a.m. 

Before closing the doors of Johnson Hall, Salem Khoury, a UO Coalition for Palestine co-leader, was seen conversing with UO administration, telling protestors to stop pulling the doors and to “let them [UO admin] do it.”

Protestors then left Johnson Hall toward 13th Avenue and are currently back at the encampment. 
Krista Dillon, the senior director of safety and risk services, and other administrators were seen inside Johnson Hall once students left the building. The Emerald has reached out to the university regarding the demonstrations.
The UO Coalition for Palestine posted a responsethis morning to the university’s offer yesterday. The response indicates student demonstrators will maintain “the overnight structure of the encampment,” describing it as “a form of nonviolent protest protected by the First Amendment.”
The response also condemned the university’s refusal to release a statement specifically calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as its refusal to divest from various companies including Hewlett-Packard and Sabra Hummus. The response called back to past political statements and divestments made by the university, including statements on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and historical divestments from “the apartheid state of South Africa” and “fossil fuels.”
“Their insistence on ‘political neutrality’ in the case of the Israeli genocide stands in stark contrast to their published statements regarding Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine,” the response reads, “which was categorically condemned on the basis of human rights.”
Students are at the encampment now and will remain throughout the day. Shabbat services are scheduled for tonight at the camp at 6:30 p.m.
Updated 11:34 a.m.
Building administrators have locked the doors to Johnson Hall after roughly 200 pro-Palestine student demonstrators entered the building, throwing papers and leaflets and chanting.

Some students have attempted to re-enter the building, but leaders of the demonstration were urging protesters to stop pulling the doors open. All students are now outside of the building and are marching around Johnson Hall.
Updated 11:23 a.m.
Roughly 200 students re-entered Johnson Hall moments ago, but are now leaving Johnson Hall and do not appear to be occupying the building. The students were gathered in the lobby chanting “free Palestine,” among other phrases. 
A fire safety officer was present in the building to ensure fire code.
Students are now gathering and chanting outside Johnson Hall.
Updated 11:06 a.m.
Demonstrators have entered Johnson Hall and are marching through the building, throwing papers with phrases including “we charge UO w/genocide!” written on them. 
Demonstrators live-streamed the event as they walked through Johnson Hall. It does not appear that they are attempting to occupy the building, though some in their comments section urged them to do so.  The board room in Johnson Hall has been littered with leaflets saying “Stop Genocide.”
Demonstrators leaving Johnson are proceeding to march towards Hendricks Hall, where they were allegedly told to meet at 10 a.m. by university officials.
Updated 10:45 a.m.
Demonstrators are now doing a “die-in” on the steps of Johnson Hall. Students are sitting and lying down in front of the Johnson Hall doors, stretching into 13th Avenue, where the ASUO Street Faire is entering its third and final day.
Salem Khoury, co-president of UO Students for Justice in Palestine, is reading off the names of children killed in Gaza by Israeli Defense Forces soldiers. Several dozen observers have gathered around the demonstration.
Updated 10:29 a.m.
The rally has grown to roughly 200 demonstrators, who are marching to Johnson Hall.
Earlier, a law school professor and member of UOFSJP, who was an observer in negotiations, addressed the rally. The professor was an observer in prior negotiations with the university.
University officials have not appeared at this rally, and it’s unclear if they will.  
Updated 10:06 a.m.
Roughly 150 pro-Palestine demonstrators are gathered outside of Lillis Hall in hopes of a “public negotiation” with UO administrators. Protesters are chanting slogans including “free, free Palestine” and “long live Palestine.”
Pledge sheets are being passed around for demonstrators to sign in support of divestment. The sheets are intended to be delivered to UO President John Karl Scholz.
Two tables, with four chairs on each side, have been set up in front of Chapman Hall. It’s unclear whether university officials will appear at the public negotiations. Their publicly posted timeline of negotiations with the encampment says that public negotiations are “contrary to agreed-upon ground rules.”
Updated 9:05 a.m.
It’s day 12 of UO’s pro-Palestine encampment. Students are expected to resume negotiations with university officials at 10 a.m., and organizers have announced a rally at the same time with “students, faculty, staff and community members” there to “hold them accountable.”
It’s unclear how that process will work. The Emerald has reached out to the university for comment.
Daily Emerald reporters are on scene and will continue to be throughout the day.