BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) — UC Berkeley students are camping out on the steps of Sproul Hall in solidarity with pro-Palestinian protesters who have recently been arrested at other universities.
The demonstrators set up what they’re calling a “Free Palestine” encampment.
Organizers say the group has three demands.
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First, they want UC Berkeley to end what they’re calling the university’s “silence in the Palestinian genocide in Gaza.”
They’re also calling on the university to divest from corporations involved with the Israel-Hamas conflict.
And lastly, they are asking for better protection for Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students.
“This issue is often miscommunicated as a sort of campus culture war that pits student against student on the basis of identity and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Matt Kovac with UC Berkeley Divest says. “This is a movement rooted in solidarity and anti-racism and anti-imperialism because that’s what we’re witnessing in Gaza.”
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UC Berkeley law student Malak Afaneh, who went viral for protesting at a dean’s party, wants a refocus on Gaza and the school’s aid to Israel.
UC Berkeley released this statement about how it will handle the tents in front of Sproul Hall, saying: “We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the university’s operations.”
The protesters say they have no plans to leave until their demands are met.
The Bay Area’s Jewish Community Relations Council posted to X, saying in part: “While their words are abhorrent, the protesters at UC Berkeley have a right to free speech and assembly, and no violence or obstruction has yet been reported.”
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