Hundreds of students and faculty marched in protest at UC Santa Cruz on Wednesday to demand the university divest in any businesses or investments that support Israel and its ongoing war in Gaza.
Students and faculty marched from the Science and Engineering Library to the bookstore, holding signs and chanting. At the bookstore, protesters had already started setting up tents for an encampment.
Sasha Stetler is a third-year legal studies major at UC Santa Cruz who helped plan the protest.
"I am part of the Jewish resistance that recognizes that in a time of genocide it is our responsibility to stand up for the oppressed people," she said.
In addition to divestment in Israel and other demands, the protesters are asking the UC system to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and use the term genocide to describe the Israel-Hamas war.
The International Court of Justice has said it's plausible that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. But the court hasn’t made a final verdict, and Israel pushes back strongly on the accusations that it’s committed genocide.
The protesters set up more than 15 tents outside the bookstore. Some said they are prepared to stay until their demands are met. A few students expressed concern over the potential response from police or counter-protesters.
Encampments have become a visible form of protest on campuses across the U.S. That includes at UCLA, where earlier this week, pro-Israel protesters forcibly attempted to break up an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters.
"We are not here to destroy the campus or to hurt anybody. We are simply here to educate and stand in solidarity and raise awareness for Gaza," said Stetler.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for UCSC said the safety and well-being of students is the University’s highest priority and that they are actively monitoring the situation.
The university did not respond by deadline to questions over specific actions it might take in response to the encampment.
