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.
UO President John Karl Scholz made a statement and answered several follow-up questions at a University Senate meeting on May 1. For the first time, Scholz addressed the encampment and protesters’ demands.

ASUO Senator Taliek Lopez-DuBoff asked Scholz whether there were currently plans to remove students from the encampment. 
“Right now, no,” Scholz said. “Circumstances can change.”

Scholz said that the university has a longstanding policy for peaceful protest and demonstration, and that these policies are to uphold free speech while limiting disruption to education.
Scholz also said he would not ask the UO Foundation to deviate from its approach to long-term investments. Protesters are calling for the foundation, which operates as a separate entity from the university, to divest from several companies including Jasper Ridge Partners, Boeing, Elbit and Vanguard.
Protesters allege these investments are connected to defense companies that supply Israel with weapons, though the UO Foundation has disputed some of the claims.

When asked if it was “feasible” to reflect on long-term investments and the UO Foundation’s relationships, Scholz said that he feels there is a “performative aspect” to divestments.

“I understand the symbolism and the values,” Scholz said. “And I really do understand that selling a share of Hewlett Packard stock, someone else is buying a share of Hewlett Packard. And it’s not [a] discernible effect on the challenges that we have in [the] Middle East.”

When informed by the Daily Emerald about President Scholz’ comment that the call for divestment has a “performative aspect” to it, Carolyn Roderique, a UO student and media liaison for the UO Coalition for Palestine, said that Scholz’ comment is “absolutely ridiculous.”

“Our money is directly going to the weapons that are killing Palestinian people,” Roderique said. “Divestment is not performative, there is money going towards this. I don’t know what’s going on in his head, I don’t know why he would say that.” 

Roderique said that while the coalition can affect local surroundings, “it’s our responsibility as a university to not be invested in companies perpetuating this genocide.” 
Scholz said that the university could reflect on their investments through “teachable moments.”

“As a university we can do, I think, much more by teaching, speaking, educating,” Scholz said. “Is divestment symbolic? Is it meaningful? How does an [environment, social and governance] fund work? What constitutes long-run ethical, prudent investments?”

Scholz said this is a larger conversation he “hopes” the university will have.

Scholz also rebuffed the idea of academic boycotts of Israeli universities, another demand of pro-Palestine protesters.
“Academic boycotts are antithetical to the free exchange of ideas and creation of scholarship, which is the core purpose of the university,” Scholz said.
Roderique said that the demand to end UO’s participation in “genocide” is what students have the ability to “fight” and have control over. 

“We are fighting for an end to this university’s complicity in genocide,” Roderique said.