A demonstrator works on taking down the banner reading “Alareer Hall”—the name demonstrators gave to Johnson Hall, in honor of a Palestinian poet and writer Refaat Alareer—on May 22, 2024. After weeks of protest, the 24-day-long encampment demonstration saw its end after negotiations teams from the encampment and the University of Oregon reached an agreement to end the encampment in exchange for meeting some student demands, including “No adverse action” for “protected speech” activities, a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and more. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)
On May 23, the University of Oregon Coalition for Palestine’s encampment ended with a UO administration and Coalition agreement after nearly a month of demonstration.
A few of the commitments in the agreement included a statement “condemning the genocide against Palestinians” and a declaration that calls for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
The agreement also committed to academic amnesty for any student potentially charged with violating UO’s code of conduct policies. UO faculty and staff members will not face “adverse action” for any participation in “protected speech” activities, either.
In interviews with the Daily Emerald, several campus organizations spoke on the agreement and their hopes for the future of their organizations.
University of Oregon Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine
Kaleigh Bronson, a co-founder of UOFSJP, said that she felt “really excited” following the agreement between both parties, though she said she feels that the agreement is just the “beginning.”
“Our group, UOFSJP, and a lot of faculty and staff on campus are so incredibly proud of the bravery and moral clarity of our students in standing up for what is right and standing up for the Palestinian people,” Bronson said.
Bronson said that it meant “a lot” to her to have a “peaceful [and] negotiated end” to the encampment.
Bronson said that the condition of academic amnesty is “important” because it will not only extend to students, but to faculty and staff as well.
“Something that was really important to us as faculty and staff as well was amnesty, because that doesn’t just extend to students; that extends to us also – to protect our faculty and staff and their rights to freedom of speech and expression and academic freedom,” she said.
Bronson said that the boycott of Sabra and the calling for a ceasefire were two significant conditions for her. She said she would have wanted a “stronger condemnation of the genocide being committed in Palestine.”
Bronson also said that the boycott of Sabra Hummus, which is not in the final agreement, but found in a “separate understanding,” was a sign of “good faith” by the university.
She said that Sabra is in “direct tie[s] to support the occupation and the violence against the genocide being committed against Palestinian people.”
According to a Students for Justice in Palestine Instagram post, Sabra hummus will no longer be stocked in the campus dining halls and stores.
But according to UO spokesperson Eric Howald, UO “did not agree to discontinue selling or boycott Sabra hummus products.”
Bronson said that she’s looking forward to seeing how the pro-Palestine movement will continue on campus without the encampment. She said that UOFSJP will continue to support SJP and Jewish Voices for Peace, two of the founding organizations behind the pro-Palestine movement at UO.
“It’s interesting to think about what the future looks like for the movement on campus without the encampment because so many of us were so invested in the encampment for so long, and now it’s gone,” Bronson said, “so, what new forms does the movement take?”
Oregon Hillel
Andy Gitelson, the executive director for Oregon Hillel, a Jewish student organization, said that many members of Hillel, including himself, were happy to see a peaceful end to the encampment.
Gitelson shared concerns over the academic amnesty clause in the agreement made between the encampment representatives and UO administration.
He said there was a “lack of accountability” in the amnesty clause for students who “brazenly violated student policy and code of conduct.”
Gitelson also said that there was a violation regarding alleged vandalism, which he said to be committed by encampment members.
One UO student was arrested on May 14 for allegedly gluing pro-Palestine flyers to the side of Knight Library.
“For students just to be able to decide that they’re going to break these policies and then not have to face any kind of accountability, I think is horrible,” Gitelson said. “I think it sets a horrible precedent for the university that this behavior will be tolerable and, in fact, rewarding.”
Gitelson also said he wishes that more Jewish students who did not participate in the encampment were involved in the negotiations and agreement.
“All along we support[ed] students’ rights to free speech and to assemble. We just think everybody should be held accountable to the same rules,” he said.
Gitelson further said that enforcing student conduct during protests is “critical” to preventing a “toxic” campus environment.
UO Coalition for Justice in Palestine members
UO student and encampment media liaison Carolyn Roderique said she was “really happy” to see an agreement made between encampment representatives and UO administrators.
“With the agreement, UO became one of very few schools nationwide to end an encampment with an agreement and without any major police presence,” Roderique said.
They also said that the agreement stems from faculty, student and community support, but doesn’t “speak to the generosity” of UO.
Under clause four of the agreement, which aims to create a program for Palestinian studies, Roderique said she is looking forward to the addition of Palestinian faculty and staff to the university.
“I’m really happy to see especially the scholarships and bringing Palestinian students and Palestinian professors to our university,” Roderique said.
Roderique said the fight for Palestine is “long from over,” warning that the students will hold administrators to their promises.
“If they don’t follow through on their promises, we can always re-pitch the tents,” Roderique said. “We’re happy, [and] our movement isn’t over. Camping is one tactic in a broader movement. We’re ready to continue the movement. We’re ready to continue the fight, but this is definitely a step worth celebrating.”
Diego Duarte, a member of the UO Coalition for Palestine negotiating team said that he was “very happy” with clause four of the agreement.
“I’m very proud of that,” Duarte said. “[Clause four] could save lives.”
Duarte said he felt that UO president John Karl Scholz “weakened” his May 23 ceasefire statement in comparison to the agreed upon text in the final agreement.
Duarte said that Scholz’ statement was a reason why the Coalition disrupted Scholz’ investiture on May 30.
“The text of it was dramatically different from the thing that we agreed to in the document,” Duarte said. “He still said that he wants a ceasefire, but the language was notably different.”
“Ducks 4 Israel”
Similar to Gitelson, Samuel Rhodes, co-chair for “Ducks 4 Israel,” said he also disagreed with the academic amnesty laws saying that student protestors will not be punished for their “antisemitic sentiment” actions and alleges that the university “did not do enough” to address those actions.
“I think that’s a little bit frustrating for us where [UO] allowed the encampment to continue to make amplified calls for the annihilation of the State of Israel and express antisemitic sentiment on campus,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes also said that he was “very happy” to see the encampment end in a peaceful manner, but found it “ridiculous” how demonstrators will face “no repercussions” for disrupting classes and buildings.
“The university did a good job keeping [the encampment] non-violent, but at the same time, just last week, [the demonstrators] went in and disrupted classes. They went into multiple buildings; they went into the Lillis [Business Complex] atrium and started chanting the same chants that they have been for weeks,” he said.
Rhodes said he was unsure of what “all the educational offerings” would entail, in reference to clause four of the agreement.
“I’m not sure who’s going to be teaching the classes and what they’re going to be constituting, and if there’s going to be not just pro-Palestinian [and] pro-Hamas rhetoric being taught in classes,” he said.
Rhodes said that UO has yet to reach out to members of the Ducks 4 Israel following the end of the encampment.
Rhodes said that following the encampment, “Ducks 4 Israel” will continue to establish itself on campus and to promote Israeli culture and Israeli history.
“We’re gonna continue to stand up for ourselves and what we believe in. Regardless of what JVP [Jewish Voice for Peace] or SJP [Students for Justice in Palestine] continues to do, we’re going to stand up for ourselves, so what they do doesn’t affect our plans for the future,” Rhodes said.
* Both student organizations Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace could not be reached for comment by the time of this writing.
[Editors note: According to UO spokesperson Eric Howald the university made no agreement with student protestors to discontinue use of Sabra hummus.]
Demonstrators dance in celebration outside of Johnson Hall on May 22, 2024. After weeks of protest, the 24-day-long encampment demonstration saw its end after negotiations teams from the encampment and the University of Oregon reached an agreement to end the encampment in exchange for meeting some student demands, including "No adverse action" for "protected speech" activities, a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and more. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)
