NorCal college students set up 'Free Palestine' encampment, barricade themselves

COLUMBIA AND HERE AT HOME. UC BERKELEY STUDENTS ARE STAGING A SIT IN PROTEST ON CAMPUS, AS ABC SEVEN NEWS REPORTER LENA HOWLAND SHOWS US DEMONSTRATORS HAVE SET UP TENTS OUTSIDE SPROUL HALL WITH FINALS ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY. >> SOME UC BERKELEY STUDENTS ARE TRADING IN THE LIBRARY FOR TENTS WITH THEIR LAPTOPS IN HAND. MORE THAN A DOZEN STUDENTS ARE CAMPING IN TENTS OUTSIDE OF SPROUL HALL IN SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE US. IT'S WHAT DEMONSTRATORS ARE CALLING A FREE PALESTINE ENCAMPMENT. THE UC NEEDS TO END ITS SILENCE ON THE PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE IN GAZA. >> IT NEEDS TO DIVEST BOTH ITS INDIRECT AND DIRECT FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS FROM WEAPONS COMPANIES THAT ARE FACILITATING THIS GENOCIDE. >> STUDENTS TAKING PART IN THE SIT IN ARE NOT ONLY ASKING FOR THE DISINVESTMENT FROM CORPORATIONS INVOLVED IN THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR, THEY'RE ASKING FOR BETTER PROTECTION FOR PALESTINIAN, ARAB AND MUSLIM STUDENTS. >> THIS IS A MOVEMENT ROOTED IN SOLIDARITY, IN ANTI-RACISM AND ANTI-IMPERIALISM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING IN GAZA. >> UC BERKELEY SAID WE WILL TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE PROTEST DOES NOT DISRUPT THE UNIVERSITY'S OPERATIONS, AND THERE ARE NO PLANS TO CHANGE THE UNIVERSITY'S INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES. WHILE THINGS REMAIN PEACEFUL IN BERKELEY, IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT STORY AT CAL POLY HUMBOLDT, AS PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS BARRICADE THEMSELVES INSIDE A BUILDING, THE UNIVERSITY IS CALLING IT A DANGEROUS AND VOLATILE SITUATION. CLOSING CAMPUS AT LEAST THROUGH TUESDAY. >> THE KEY FOR ALL OF THESE PLACES IT NEEDS TO STAY SAFE. IT NEEDS TO STAY RESPECTFUL. HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE THIS DIALOG. >> UC BERKELEY PROFESSOR DARA O'ROURKE STOPPED BY TO CHECK IN ON THE STUDENTS JUST WAKING UP ON HIS WAY TO CLASS TUESDAY. >> OUR GOAL OF UNIVERSITY IS TO KIND OF CHALLENGE WHAT WE THINK AND HOW WE THINK AND TO LEARN, AND SO I REALLY HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND STANDING UP ON THESE ISSUES AND ASKING THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND THEN TO ENGAGE THESE ISSUES. >> THE PROTESTERS SAY THEY HAVE NO PLANS TO LEAVE HERE UNTIL

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 1,654

Keywords: news, abc, abc7news, uc berkeley, uc berkeley students, free palestine, free palestine encampment, protest, students arrested, college students arrested, pro-palestine demonstration, israel hamas war, sproul hall, cal poly humboldt, barricaded students

Id: Jz_9gIMLiCs

Length: 2min 11sec (131 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 23 2024