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.
Below is the Emerald’s coverage of May 1, the third day of the encampment.

The University of Oregon pro-Palestine encampment had another day of relative peace on its third full day on the Memorial Quad. Yet there were signs of potential friction between student leaders and UO administrators that may present challenges in the coming days. President John Karl Scholz and ASUO each weighed in on the encampment.

The encampment expanded southward at around 11:30 a.m. and now stretches from the northernmost end of the Memorial Quad between Condon and Chapman Halls to the southern portion of the quad between the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and Prince Lucien Campbell Hall. The number of tents grew from around 75 to at least 107 over the course of the day.

At least 300 attendees, including students in the encampment, gathered for a May Day walkout and rally in front of Lillis Hall at 1 p.m. The rally opened with individuals weaving large strands of garland around a pole and featured comments from labor and pro-Palestinian activists.

“I think May Day is a really really special opportunity to very clearly tie the struggle of workers internationally together with the current struggle that we’re centering for Gaza right now,” UO student and CJL student campaign coordinator Valentine Bentz said.

UO debuted a new webpage entitled “Free Speech and Safety at UO,” which collects statements and various policies of the university regarding student demonstrations. The university also set up a surveillance camera on the roof of Chapman Hall, which UO spokesperson Angela Seydel said was a typical measure for large gatherings at university spaces.

Just hours later, UO President John Karl Scholz provided comment during a 3 p.m. University Senate meeting that there were no current plans to remove students from the encampment, though “circumstances can change.”

Scholz also said he would not ask the UO Foundation to consider alternative long-term investments. Student activists have demanded that Jasper Ridge Partners, the investment manager for the foundation, divest from various companies with ties to the defense industry, including Boeing, Elbit and Vanguard. The UO Foundation has previously disputed some of these claims.

Scholz said he feels there is a “performative aspect” to calls for divestment.

“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.”

Though Scholz initially said there would be no plan to remove protestors from the encampment, students in the encampment were hand-delivered official notice from the UO Division of Student Life and UO Finance and Administration that the students “occupying the Memorial Quad” have “violate[d]… policies and procedures” regarding “facilities scheduling” and “proscribed conduct.”

The notice further stated that those who fail to comply with university policies may be subject to “legal consequences of non-compliance, such as student disciplinary action, arrest, and punishment for trespass and disorderly conduct.” 
The Associated Students of the University of Oregon’s Senate passed a resolution on the encampment in a 5:30 p.m. meeting which, among its six points, called for UO President John Karl Scholz to “commit to a public discussion” with students “around the university and UO Foundation’s investment priorities.” 

The resolution was unanimously approved, with one senator abstaining, and co-sponsored by ASUO President Chloe Webster and Vice President Finn Jacobson.

ASUO had initially reserved the Memorial Quad space from Friday, May 3 to set up for its biannual street fair. Sources close to ASUO had said that the student government would not need use of the space until Tuesday, May 7. 

But the ASUO Senate resolution stated that “there is no conflict between the Spring Street Fair and the encampment requiring the dislodging of protesters.” In the University Senate meeting earlier today, ASUO Senator Taliek Lopez-DuBoff said that ASUO was working with student organizers in the encampment regarding the scheduling conflict.

Looking ahead, a university spokesperson has confirmed that student leaders of the encampment are meeting with Dean of Students Marcus Langford at 3 p.m. tomorrow. The encampment is setting up a negotiations team to discuss their demands with the university. 
Tomorrow also marks the protestors’ May 2 deadline for UO to meet their eight demands. Student leaders have told the Daily Emerald that they will continue to stay at the encampment until their demands are met.
Read below for the Emerald’s live coverage.

Updated 9:51 p.m.

Daily Emerald reporters have left the scene of the encampment as events wind down, and will resume live updates at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.

A UOPD police officer briefly parked in front of the encampment outside of Lillis Hall, but appeared to be locking up the building and left around 9:45 p.m.

Tomorrow is expected to be an eventful day for student organizers, marking the initial May 2 deadline that activists had set for the university to meet their demands. Student leaders of the encampment have with a 3 p.m. meeting slated with Dean of Students Marcus Langford.

—

Updated 9:30 p.m.

A meeting was held in the encampment regarding negotiations and plans to form a negotiation team for further discussions with the university.

There are currently at least 107 tents on the encampment. Tents have moved further southward on the Memorial Quad since this morning, and are set up in front of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and Prince Lucien Campbell Hall.

Programming in the camp is winding down for the day. An Isha’a prayer service is scheduled for 11 p.m.
Updated 7:25 p.m.
The ASUO Senate has passed a resolution “calling for university action to protect and empower student freedom of speech,” the Emerald has learned. The resolution calls for “the University to engage in an open dialogue with protestors.”
In a 5:30 p.m. meeting, the resolution — authored by UO graduate student Andrew Ducharme and ASUO Senator Taliek Lopez-DuBoff — passed unanimously, with one senator abstaining due to concerns over the resolution’s language. The resolution was also co-sponsored by ASUO President Chloe Webster and Vice President Finn Jacobson.
The resolution has six points and can be found here. Among them include calling for UO President John Karl Scholz to “commit to a public discussion” with students “around the university and UO Foundation’s investment priorities.” It also “reminds” Scholz that the UO Foundation has “committed to use ethical, not just financial, criteria in fund management.”
It also states that the university has “restricted student advocacy to so-called ‘free speech zones’ and repeatedly threatened retaliation towards student protestors.”
The resolution comes on the heels of Scholz’s comments at a University Senate meeting earlier that day, where he expressed skepticism about protesters’ demands for the UO Foundation to divest from some of its holdings. He also said the university would not engage in academic boycotts of Israeli universities, and that there were no current plans to remove students from the encampment.
The resolution says that “there is no conflict between the Spring Street Fair and the encampment requiring the dislodging of protesters.” ASUO has reserved the Memorial Quad space beginning Friday, May 3 to set up for the biannual fair. 
In the University Senate meeting earlier today, Lopez-DuBoff said that ASUO was working with student organizers in the encampment regarding the scheduling conflict.
Updated 6:29 p.m.
There are now at least 98 tents on the university’s Memorial Quad.
Chapman Hall and the Erb Memorial Union will both be closing early in response to graffiti on the wall of a Chapman Hall bathroom, UO spokesperson Angela Seydel confirmed. The EMU will close at 9 p.m., while Chapman Hall was closed as of 5 p.m.
“To avoid further damage and to protect the safety of people working in the building after hours, Chapman Hall and the EMU will close earlier than normal today,” Seydel said in an email statement to the Emerald. “We appreciate that our students continue to maintain a commitment to non-violent demonstrations and that they understand our responsibility to limit property damage which may impact our overall campus community and academic mission.”
Additional details about the nature of the graffiti were not provided. 
Updated 6:08 p.m.

A university spokesperson has confirmed that student leaders of the encampment are meeting with Dean of Students Marcus Langford at 3 p.m. tomorrow. 

The nature of the conversation, as well as whether other administrators would be present at the meeting, was not immediately clear.

The Erb Memorial Union will close at 9 p.m. tonight instead of its usual 11 p.m. closing time. The Emerald has reached out to the university regarding the reasoning for the early closure. 

Updated 5:58 p.m.

Printed letters from the UO Division of Student Life and UO Finance and Administration have been hand-delivered to students in the encampment.

The letters are “official notice” that students “occupying the Memorial Quad” have “violate[d]… policies and procedures” regarding facilities scheduling and proscribed conduct.

“Visitors and members of the campus community who fail to comply with university policies, rules or other applicable laws or regulations may be subject to the legal consequences of non-compliance,” the letter reads, “such as student disciplinary action, arrest, and punishment for trespass and disorderly conduct.”

UO spokesperson Angela Seydel said that the letters were intended to function as an official notification of the violation of policies, and that they were printed and hand-delivered because administrators are unaware of which students are in the encampment.

“It was to ensure that the group was appropriately notified,” Seydel said. “These are the exact same things we would give to anyone planning an event on campus. This was an unplanned event that lasted to the point we wanted to make sure they know these were the policies we hold everyone to.”

Seydel also said that UO administrators have been attempting to set up meetings with leaders of the encampment. Dean of Students Marcus Langford has visited the encampment several times, which Seydel says was part of a larger effort to “be available both formally and informally.”

“Several opportunities to formally meet have been offered, and we hope to hear from students soon on a time that works,” Seydel said.

UO SJP co-president Salem Younes confirmed that Langford had been discussing setting up a meeting with student leaders, and said that one had been scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow. The Emerald has reached out to the university for confirmation.

Fellow co-president Salem Khoury said the letters were a reminder of UO administrators’ intentions, though she said Langford has been “agreeable” in previous meetings.

“I think that administration members, no matter how agreeable they may be with the entire matter, disagree with most levels of civil disobedience,” Khoury said. “We really want to have these conversations with admin, but when Scholz is making statements like, ‘this isn’t even on the table,’ it becomes impossible for us to even discuss our mode of operation or our values or what we even possess here as protesters.”

Carolyn Roderique, a UO Coalition for Palestine media liaison and UO student, said that organizers knew a notice for arrest “was a possibility going in.”

“Historically, civil disobedience is met with this,” Roderique said. “I think it’s disappointing that the university would rather threaten us than talk to us or even try to make any movement on our demands.”
Roderique said that if UO is “willing” to negotiate with encampment organizers, the UO Coaltion for Palestine has a negotiation team assembled.
“If they’re [UO] willing to negotiate we have a team assembled and we’re ready to negotiate,” she said. “We will be here until divest or arrest.”
Updated 4:19 p.m.

When informed by the Daily Emerald about President Scholz’ comment at the UO Senate meeting 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.” 

She said 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. 
Updated 4:07 p.m. 

UO President John Karl Scholz made a statement and answered several follow-up questions at a University Senate meeting. 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.”

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.

Updated 2:28 p.m. 

The pro-Palestine May Day rally wrapped up at approximately 2:16 p.m. Roughly 300 people were in attendance.
The rally featured several guest speakers who condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, the University of Oregon, as well as colonialism and capitalism.
The surveillance camera on the roof of Chapman Hall has been confirmed to be part of the overall camera system on campus, according to UO spokesperson Angela Seydel.
“Many people on campus have access to the camera system which includes safety and risk services, building mangers [sic] and police and security staff,” Seydel said in a text message.
Updated 1:07 p.m.
A walkout and rally for May Day has drawn large crowds, with at least 300 attendees — including students in the encampment — gathered in front of Lillis Hall. Attendees are chanting phrases including “Just like Vietnam, students say stop the bomb,” “Resistance is justified when people are occupied,” and “boycott, divest, sanction, end the occupation.” 
Updated 1:05 p.m.
University spokesperson Angela Seydel said that the camera on the roof of Chapman Hall was part of a “portable camera system” that UO frequently uses for large events and demonstrations in university spaces.
“There are a lot of people out on the quad right now,” Seydel said.
Updated 12:19 p.m.

At roughly 11:10 a.m., an individual on the roof of Chapman Hall was setting up what seemed to be a surveillance camera focused on the encampment. 

According to Ashley Igou, a Campus Planning and Facilities Management  employee, the individual on the roof was a UO employee. Igou said the individual was up there for “security reasons.”
No media liaisons within the encampment knew what the individual’s purpose was for setting up the equipment. One of them, UO student Teagen Holmquist, told the Emerald they felt that the camera on the roof was an “escalation.” The UO Coalition for Palestine organizers are currently attempting to get into contact with UO administrators about the matter.

An employee in Chapman said that Campus Planning and Facilities Management will often perform maintenance routines on buildings without alerting employees within the buildings unless it disturbs academic activity.

The Emerald has reached out to the university for comment.

 
Updated 11:35 a.m.

Student organizers are expanding encampment lines southward towards the Knight Library. Additional tents are being placed in front of Prince Lucien Campbell Hall, and at least 90 tents are now present at the encampment.

Tea Bland, Carolyn Roderique and Teagen Holmquist, three UO students and media liaisons for the UO Coalition for Palestine, have told the Emerald that encampment lines are expanding due to increased “general interest,” and because the encampment had begun to be crowded.

The organizers did not provide a specific number on how many more individuals have since joined the encampment.

UO chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine, the Young Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Committee of Grads for Palestine have planned a 1 p.m. “May Day” rally at the encampment.  

In a 9:56 a.m. email to its members, Oregon Hillel condemned the encampment, stating that “today’s events… reflect a disturbing and quickly deteriorating trend both nationally and on our own campuses.” The email from Hillel also condemned “faculty or educators” who “[use] their position in the classroom to push their political agenda or. Ideology., [sic]”.

Hillel’s email also stated it will continue to work to “elevate bias reports” that occur on campus at UO or OSU.

The Chabad of Eugene sent a similar email late last night addressing the encampments, and stating that “anti-Israel protests are ongoing.” 

Chabad’s email stated that it will be in “constant contact” with UO administrators and UO’s Department of Police and Public Safety.  
President John Karl Scholz will provide a statement during the University Senate’s 3-5 p.m. meeting, which is open to the public via Zoom. It is unknown whether he will specifically address the encampment. 
Updated 9:32 a.m.
UO has published a new webpage entitled “Free Speech and Safety at UO,” apparently in an effort to address ongoing concerns over the encampment. UO spokesperson Angela Seydel said the site is intended to house all relevant information and university statements.
“The University of Oregon upholds the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful dissent,” a statement on the site reads. “We also uphold the right for all our students to receive their education, to participate in and attend classes, and to do so safely and without harassment.”
The site states that “university officials have the authority” to intervene when “campus activities conflict with one another,” indicating demonstrators could be asked to leave the Memorial Quad if ASUO still requires access to the space on May 7.
The university also outlined conditions under which they might “take action” to stop “individual or group behavior.” These include:
(a) The blocking of “doorways, hallways, stairways, fire exits, or fire lanes.”
(b) Exceeding safety capacity in indoor spaces.
(c) Preventing a “scheduled speaker” from “presenting views or responding to questions.”
(d) Behaviors “mak[ing] it difficult to continue with scheduled or other normal university activities.”
(e) Threats to the security of university property, including an increased likelihood of “breakage, damage, loss or theft.”
(f) Damages or vandalization of university property.
(g) Any illegal activity taking place on campus.
The website also includes links to the university’s free speech and demonstration guidelines, which were created in 2018. Updated 8:42 a.m.
It’s day three of UO’s pro-Palestine encampment. Approximately 75 tents are packed closely on the northern half of UO’s Memorial Quad as protesters prepare for another day of programming and events. Organizers are expected to expand the camp further south on the lawn at some point today, though no specific timeframe was given.
Carolyn Roderique, a UO student and organizer for the encampment, said yesterday’s arrests at other major universities were weighing on the camp. Nearly 300 protestors were arrested at Columbia University last night, according to the New York Times.
“It’s a very powerful movement in history, with what we saw at Columbia last night,” Roderique said. “Cops daring to sweep people who say ‘Free Palestine.’”
Student leaders of the encampment will meet shortly to discuss participation in a 1 p.m. May Day walkout rally in front of Lillis Hall.
“It’s an act of resistance, it’s an act of resilience,” Roderique said, referring the encampment. “We refuse to look away and now neither can anyone else.”
Editor-in-Chief Evan Reynolds, News Editor Tristin Hoffman, Associate News Editors Mathias Lehman-Winters and Alisa Dougherty, Social Media Editor Alicia Santiago, and news reporters Tarek Anthony, Ysabella Sosa, Jasmine Saboorian, Reilly Norgren, Stephanie Hensley, Joseph Chiu and Andres Baisch contributed to this reporting.