Pro-Palestinian protestors packed up their encampment at UC Berkeley Tuesday, ending one of the longest running encampments that have taken over university campuses over the past few months.
During the 22 days of occupation, protesters did not achieve their ultimate goal of UC system divestment in Israel. But they may have opened some doors of hope towards that goal and they’re going to try to keep the pressure on by moving to a new campus.
“We realized what we are kind of able to get from the university, in terms of our demands being met, have kind of been met to some extent,” Yazen Kashlam, UC Berkeley divest coalition camp organizer, said.
What the protestors got from UC Berkeley was a letter from the university’s chancellor where she promised to make a public statement supporting an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
A negotiator with the Free Palestine movement on the Berkeley campus read from the letter in one final rally on campus.
“Honestly a few months ago it would have been surprising to get this document,” the negotiator said. “The fact that I get to say there is more to win, there is still another fight. There is still another campaign that’s within reach.”
The protestors did not get what they ultimately want from the UC system, but in that letter, Chancellor Carol Christ wrote the UC system does not support war and, “We should examine whether UC Berkeley's investments continue to align with our values or should be modified in order to do so.”
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She also made it clear she’s in alignment with the UC system which does not support a divestment in Israel as a nation.
The protestors say they hope to increase the pressure on the UC system. They will join hundreds of other demonstrators in Merced Wednesday at the UC Board of Regents meeting.
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