ITHACA, N.Y. — Students at Cornell University continue to occupy their pro-Palestinian, anti-war encampment on the lawn of the university’s Art Quad as of April 30, despite four student participants being suspended in the last few days.
Student organizers pitched their tents before the sun rose on April 25 in solidarity with other university students nationwide who, over the last week, organized similar encampments to protest the U.S. government’s involvement in the Israeli-Gaza war.
At Cornell, students are calling for the school to endorse a permanent ceasefire and divestment from major weapons manufacturers, among other demands.
Cornell University President Martha Pollack responded to the demonstration for the first time in a statement released April 29, four days after students set up camp.
Pollack recounted the timeline of events that unfolded on Cornell’s campus over the last several days, emphasizing the administration’s leadership team’s willingness to offer organizers a secondary location to re-establish the encampment before punishing them.
“Since last Thursday, we have tried to engage thoughtfully with the participants, and will try to continue to do so,” Pollack said in the statement. “But we need to soon get to a resolution that respects our policies, promotes the public health and safety of the community, and preserves the rights of all to do their work.”
The statement said the university met with a group of student participants Saturday and again Sunday, at which time students declined to move the encampment. Therefore, Pollack said, further disciplinary action should be expected.
“More temporary suspensions, along with HR referrals for employees engaged with the encampment, are forthcoming,” Pollack said.
Over the weekend, Vice President of University Relations Joel Malinia released a similar statement that included mention of preparations to issue additional suspensions and HR refferals. There has been no further disciplinary action taken against participating students or faculty members as of April 30. There have been no arrests at the encampment so far.
Both undergraduate and graduate students associated with the Coalition for Mutual Liberation (CML), the group that organized the encampment, were among the four suspended last week, including an international post-doctoral student and organizer Momodou Taal, and Nick Wilson, an undergraduate student.
A live update and video from the encampment on Thursday:
Monday afternoon, about 50 architecture students staged a walkout in solidarity with those inside the encampment. They donated a tent to the encampment and formed a conversation circle on the grounds just outside the encampment’s borders.
Sean Anderson, Cornell alum and architecture professor at the university, joined the students who marched from the architecture department to the Arts Quad. It was not Anderson’s class participating in the walkout, but he said he joined them.
Anderson supports the students and faculty members who have participated since the encampment was erected last Thursday.
“What I don’t see here at Cornell, is any violence from the people from within the encampment,” Anderson said. “And yet, there is still this entrenchment of power or authority at least trying to quell what’s happening. And that’s disappointing.”
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