by the CPJ auxillary team
View of the Evergreen Gaza Solidarity Encampment, photo by Sarah Swissa
Within the past two weeks, many colleges and universities across the U.S. have erupted in protest responding to the ongoing genocide and scholasticide occuring within the Gaza strip. Columbia University became the first highly publicized encampment, responding to calls for solidarity and action within Palestine; many schools soon followed suit. Students and faculty have faced police brutality and state repression, with especially violent responses to POC organizers. Independent reporters utilizing social media are documenting this widespread repression and abuse currently, facing arrest and harassment by the police. Medics and legal observers are also experiencing state violence.
According to the latest data, at least thirty-seven active encampments exist within the U.S. The first student encampment in Washington State was at Evergreen, solidifying the school’s position of maintaining solidarity with Palestine as well as the national student movement. For the past 96 hours, the Evergreen encampment has held positive negotiations between student protesters and administrators on steps and timelines towards the meeting of demands. The overview of the first 96 hours is provided below.
On Tuesday April 23, 2024, the Beldaan Solidarity Network, a non-registered Pro-Palestine student organization, hosted a walk/roll-out in conjunction with schools across Washington State in condemnation of the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli government in Gaza and in solidarity with the Palestinian people. A crowd of around 150 Evergreen students, staff, and faculty participated in the walkout’s 2 hour program of speeches, poetry, and chanting. Beyond a general display of solidarity, the Evergreen walkouts demands were: No Zionist funding at TESC, divestment from companies profiting off the occupation of Palestine, no approval of study abroad in Occupied Palestine, and to pressure state legislature to divest from Israel. The chant “we don’t want Zionist funding, we just want safe housing” spoke to community frustration over a lack of awareness and access to Evergreen’s budget priorities, recalling how housing conditions were not taken as the top concern prior to December 11th, 2023 when student Jonathan Rodriguez tragically died of carbon monoxide poisoning in campus housing.
Student speakers gave enthusiastic speeches advocating the necessity of international solidarity, and how the struggle for Palestine is located on Evergreen’s campus. The final speech drove this point home, calling students attention: “There aren’t schools to even walk out of in Gaza, and here we are together now.” This speech advocated for the divestment and to stand against the perpetuation of Zionism in the course catalog, particularly demanding an end to the ‘Many Israels’ course offering, and rejection of Academic Engagement Network microgrants. It pushed to end all zionist funding at TESC, and the end to the militarization, surveillance, and political repression of Pro-Palestinian activism on ALL college campuses.
Students Gathered for the walk/roll out on April 23, photo by Margot McBrady
During the walkout and its impassioned speeches, tents were spontaneously pitched on the grass near the back with no indication of organized planning. Following an invitation from speakers to approach the “autonomous group of students holding space for Palestine,” an encampment was organically formed through the afternoon on the knoll on Red Square. This was surrounded by pro-Palestine pickets, flags, and banners from the walkout. The encampment was described in a campus-wide email on April 25th as “Red Square Free Speech Activities.”
Within the tents dubbed as the Evergreen Gaza Solidarity encampment, one could find groups of students collaborating with one another, working to create a positive and social justice-oriented space to express student voice and demands in solidarity with Palestine. Members of the encampment created communal areas for food, literature, and resource sharing. In the days following the establishment of the camp, many members of the broader Olympia community came to show their solidarity; with people bringing food, water, shelter materials and weather protection once the rain began. Other demonstrations of solidarity from the community to the encampment included a shoutout by a DJ on KAOS radio, promptly followed by the song “police state” by dead prez.
Families brought their children to visit and forged connections with students of the camp. It was reported that one child was insistent that they had candy to share with all, which was subsequently distributed amongst students. One anecdote shared by a student described children from the Evergreen Childcare Center strolling past, curious as to what all the fuss was about. They approached the camp and were welcomed by students present. Students offered an appropriate explanation concerning the camp and what motivated student action. Moments of joy were plentiful, felt by many as relationships formed and bonds strengthened. It was commonplace to view students self-organizing in meetings, developing new skills, sharing ideas, and communicating logistical needs.
Students reported there was overwhelming support for Farm Worker Justice Day. They centered the importance of the farmers’ struggle for labor representation and fair compensation. They also highlighted the intersections between the farmers’ and the Palestinians’ fight for justice. Students organized to ensure as many members of the encampment as possible would be able to attend the event. Those who attended were able to learn and then share their observations, analyses, and connections with those who remained at the camp.
Tuesday evening, the dean of students Holly Joseph approached the camp, greeted by multiple students and invited into conversation. The students made it clear that they planned to stay the night and continue the encampment, and were formulating a set of demands. After the conversation with the students, Joseph talked with the Vice President Dexter Gordon to establish an exception to the habitation policy for the encampment so that it would not be sweeped by Evergreen Police Services. This exception was extended to students while they outlined their negotiations with the provision that students would adhere to safety concerns and the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
The students were able to establish a set of demands as the focus of the camp, distinct from but inspired by the demands from the walkout. The list of central values retrieved from a whiteboard near the camp listed: “1) No Zionist Funding and Rejection of Academic Engagement Network funds 2) Divestment from Zionist Corporations and Prison Labor 3) No Study Abroad in Occupied Palestine 4) Pressure State Legislature to Divest From Israel 5) No Aramark 6) Abolish Police & Parking Services.”
Coming off the initial demands and values, meetings began with administration the following Wednesday morning concerning the encampment. A representative from the encampment described the process as a back and forth, with a rotating team of students sent in to talk to administration to push for tangible solutions and concessions from the college. After each meeting, before giving any response, the team would report back the steps the college was taking or proposing to meet these demands, and come back to the encampment to democratically decide if the proposals were satisfactory for the demands presented. Between the first 4 days and 3 nights of the encampment, two rounds of proposals were made to the encampment: providing outlines for committees of divestment in BDS, divestment in academics, task forces for the creation of a Police Services Community Review Board, and a non-police crisis response system. The language of these proposals were returned, having reached consensus in the student group that they had not sufficiently addressed student demands, and a demand that more specific language would have to be reached.
During each bargaining it was asserted and defended that students were exercising their right to democratically assemble – and restated to administration that students would not move, and might escalate, if demands were not being met. The administration maintained an amicable agreement to extend exception to the habitation policy until Friday, April 26th, and was extended further to Monday, April 29th at 5pm with the provision that students continue to adhere to safety concerns and the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
These negotiations have so far been continuing alongside the Evergreen student encampment. The CPJ received notice from the camp that Friday’s negotiations began at 1pm.
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