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 April 29, the first day of the encampment.
The first day of the University of Oregon’s pro-Palestine encampment was relatively peaceful, as the number of student protesters steadily grew throughout the day. By nightfall, the number of tents camped on the Memorial Quad in front of Condon Hall had grown to roughly 50 from the 27 that were present earlier that morning.
At 6 a.m. on April 29, amid scattered rain showers, dozens of UO student protesters met on the Memorial Quad to set up the encampment. The protesters were led by UO student organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, UO Grads for Palestine and Young Democratic Socialists of America.
UO officials appeared to react cautiously to the encampment. An email statement to “the UO community” from Kris Winter, UO’s interim vice president for student life, and André Le Duc, UO vice president and chief resilience officer, seemed to indicate that UOPD would not be called immediately. Instead, the email said that university officials had been in contact with protest organizers and advised them of “relevant institutional policies.” Police officers were largely off the scene throughout the day.
The statement emphasized student safety and said the university would continue to monitor “any disruption to [its] educational or business operations.”
Student organizers hope to pressure the university to boycott and divest from “the state of Israel, Israeli companies, and any weapons or surveillance manufacturing,” as well as providing additional statements and protections in support of “Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim and Arab students.”
Over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7 in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Gazan Ministry of Health, while roughly 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
“The university has been real quiet, and we think that’s irresponsible of them,” one student organizer, going by Cedar Deodora, said. “We want to make sure the students here are protected and are able to learn, so we want statements against the harassment of those individuals, affirming that they will be protected.”
There were no clear counter-protests on Monday. A member of Ducks 4 Israel, a leading pro-Israel student group on campus, said the organization would not be issuing a statement at this time and that no UO administrator or UOPD members had been in contact with the organization regarding the encampment.
Student organizers are discouraging outside community members from entering the encampment, believing they will lead to increased police presence. Instead, community members supported the protests in other ways, leading a march down 13th Avenue on Monday morning in support of the students.
The evening concluded with a Maghrib prayer, one of five daily traditional Islamic prayers, led by the UO Muslim Student Association, JVP and SJP. Roughly 100 students remained in the encampment to participate and observe.
Read below for the Emerald’s live coverage of the encampment.
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Updated April 29, 10:55 p.m.
It’s lights out on the Memorial Quad as pro-Palestine student protesters settle in for the first night of the encampment. Roughly 50 tents are set up around the lawn — roughly double the amount present at 7 a.m. this morning when the encampment began. Temperatures will drop to 40 degrees tonight, and forecasts show another chilly, rainy day facing Eugene tomorrow.
UO Police Department officers are patrolling campus but, as of this writing, have not approached the encampment.
Daily Emerald reporters are off the scene now but will continue to monitor conditions at the Memorial Quad throughout the night. Regular coverage of the encampment will resume tomorrow at 8 a.m.
Updated April 29, 8:13 p.m.
Around 100 participants gathered for the Maghrib prayer, one of five daily traditional Islamic prayers, led by the UO Muslim Student Association, JVP and SJP.
26 participants prayed on prayer mats, while many others observed.
The prayer ended at 8:27 p.m, lasting 14 minutes.
Updated April 29, 6:31 p.m.
Organizers have gathered and began assembling a stage.
Participants have been marked with red, green or yellow marks on their hands depending on their “willingness to be arrested,” according to Teagen Holmquist, a media liaison affiliated with the encampment.
Green means they are not willing to be arrested. Yellow means they are willing to take minimal risk and red means the person is willing to take full risk, including arrest.
The encampment has grown to nearly 50 tents. Around 100 people are currently present.
Updated April 29, 5:28 p.m.
An announcement was made that tents would be relocated to make space for the prayer session with the Muslim Students Association at 8 p.m. tonight. Members began rearranging tents around 5:30 p.m. and are now gathered for dinner and arts and crafts activities in the Memorial Quad.
A member of Ducks 4 Israel, Sam Rhodes, said Ducks 4 Israel would not be issuing a statement at this time and that no UO administrator or UOPD members had been in contact with the organization regarding the encampment.
Updated April 29, 4:04 p.m.
As the encampment approaches its first evening on campus, some student organizers said they were in it for the long haul.
“We’re gonna be here until we can talk to [UO] administration and get our demands met,” a UO student and organizer going by Cedar Deodora said.
Deodora indicated that organizers were splitting responsibilities, including food distribution and “community support.” The encampment is also accepting donations, including tents, tarps and hand warmers, to distribute to protesters.
Organizers said the encampment is not expected to be particularly loud or active overnight. Deodora said that many of the students involved had been up since early Monday, and would want to sleep.
“We’re a pretty chill group,” Deodora said. “We’re trying to make this sustainable for everyone. It’s not a big party, it’s a community.”
Tea Bland, a UO second-year student, said many students wouldn’t be fazed by the weather overnight.
“Most of us are willing to be here rain or shine,” Bland said.
Updated April 29, 3:20 p.m.
University of Oregon officials commented on the encampment for the first time in a 3:03 p.m. email sent to “UO community members.”
“We uphold the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful dissent,” the email read. “At the same time, we also uphold the right for all of our students to receive their education, to participate in and attend classes, and to do so safely and without intimidation.”
The statement from Kris Winter, UO’s interim vice president for student life, and André Le Duc, UO vice president and chief resilience officer, seemed to indicate that police would not be called immediately. Instead, the email said that university officials had been in contact with protest organizers and advised them of “relevant institutional policies.”
“As we have seen over the last week, universities across the nation who have taken a hard stance — including calling in law enforcement as an early response — have seen an escalation in violence, including harm to bystanders and students alike,” the email read.
The email also cautioned against participation from non-student demonstrators, and said the university would monitor “any disruption to [its] educational or business operations.”
As of 3:20 p.m., attendance at the encampment was remaining consistent, with roughly 25 tents laid out across the Memorial Quad.
A UO spokesperson declined to comment further.
Updated April 29, 2:49 p.m.
According to Carolyn Roderique, a media liaison for the encampments, there are volunteer legal observers, affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild, present at the encampment, wearing green hats.
“They are here in case there is any attempt to falsely arrest or falsely imprison someone under any sort of false pretenses,” Roderique said.
Updated April 29, 2:07 p.m.
UO Dean of Students Marcus Langford and the Director of Operations for Safety and Risk Services Krista Dillon arrived at the encampments around 1:10 p.m. and met with leaders of the encampments.
Langford and Dillon were present “to ensure safety” and give students a place to express First Amendment rights, Langford said.
Emerald reporters saw Langford, Dillon and Salem Younes, a SJP co-leader, fistbumping after a conversation.
Under 100 people are currently present at the encampment.
Updated April 29, 12:10 p.m.
Around 250 people are currently present at the encampment.
Two students, identifying themselves as Matt and Cedar, have told the Emerald that said that those involved with the encampments have received “overwhelmingly a lot of faculty support.”
Only students are allowed to participate in the encampments, according to Matt and Cedar. Some organizers have noticed, in other encampments across the U.S., that schools have “doubled down” on outside community members who participate.
They said there has been no discussion with UOPD or EPD, but that a campus resource safety officer and a fire marshall have told those involved to have “no flames,” and if community members become involved with the event, then “that’s when they would start cracking down.”
The Emerald has reached out to a UO spokesperson for comment.
Updated April 29, 11:56 a.m.
What do protesters want from the university?
In a statement, student organizers said the encampments would continue “until demands are met by the university” — more specifically, boycotting and divesting from “the state of Israel, Israeli companies, and any weapons or surveillance manufacturing.” The statement also called for additional statements and protections supporting “Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim and Arab students.”
Over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7 in the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Gazan Ministry of Health, while roughly 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
An organizer in the encampment said that they were frustrated by the university’s response to the war.
“The university has been real quiet, and we think that’s irresponsible of them,” they said. “We want to make sure the students here are protected and are able to learn, so we want statements against the harassment of those individuals, affirming that they will be protected.”
More context behind the encampment can be found here.
Updated April 29, 11:28 a.m.
The UOPD car adjacent to the encampment appears to have left as the march has wrapped up. Community members and student organizers are gathered and speaking on the Memorial Quad.
Updated April 29, 11:06 a.m.
The encampment has expanded to roughly 150 people as students get out of their morning classes. Community members, who did not appear to be UO students, joined in a march down 13th Ave. in support of the encampment.
A student identifying themselves as Cedar Deodora, a UO senior and student in the encampment, said that organizers were not expecting community members to join the encampment.
“There’s gonna be events, speakers, community things happening,” they said. “We have a big network of community support so we’re expecting them to come join us, they’re just not camping.”
Another student organizer, identifying themselves as Ian, said there were concerns over involvement from the UO Police Department should outsiders begin camping.
At least one UOPD car is present adjacent to the encampment.
Updated April 29, 10:15 a.m.
Over 50 students have made camp at a pro-Palestine encampment in front of the Knight Library quad. Daily Emerald reporters are on scene and will have live updates throughout the day.
Editor-in-Chief Evan Reynolds, Social Media Editor Alicia Santiago, News Editor Tristin Hoffman, Associate News Editors Mathias Lehman-Winters and Alisa Dougherty, and news reporters Ysabella Sosa, Tarek Anthony, Hanna Kalan, Stephanie Hensley, Reilly Norgren and Jasmine Saboorian contributed to this reporting.
[Editor’s note: Some student organizers are using pseudonyms or first names only when addressing media outlets. The Daily Emerald has permitted this in limited cases in order to understand the events in the encampment. In these cases, on first reference, the Daily Emerald will refer to sources as “identifying as” or “going by” their names. All sources identified as students have been independently verified by the Emerald.]
Various UO student groups have joined a nationwide movement of pro-Palestine encampments on college campuses. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)
