It’s been a week since students protesting Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza set up an encampment at the center of UCSC’s campus. They say they’ll be there until the administration accepts a list of demands.
The encampment has grown since it formed last Wednesday. Despite heavy rains over the weekend, several dozen tents and hammocks are still pitched at the Quarry Plaza.
The group “Students for Justice in Palestine” organized the encampment. A student going by the name Chef is a media-liaison for the group.
He declined giving his full name, as did everyone else KAZU spoke to at the encampment, for fear of retaliation from the university or counter-protestors.
But despite that fear, he said spirits are high.
"We've had really good programming," he said. "We have had donations from all across the community. We have had people hard at work with making sure other students are aware of our demands. We have had people doing things like Q&A tables. We've had faculty doing programing and educational seminars."
A list of demands for UCSC is posted outside the encampment. At the top of the list is complete divestment from weapons manufacturing companies.
It also includes cutting ties with all zionist institutions. They specifically list the Jewish campus organization Hillel International.
On Sunday, UCSC rejected that demand in a short statement from Chancellor Cynthia Larive. She says the University intends to continue its relationship with Hillel.
The protesters say a group from Students for Justice in Palestine has been meeting with university administrators, but so far it’s unclear what’s come of those meetings. UCSC didn’t respond to questions about the meetings by the time of publishing.
