A new anti-Israel encampment was set up on the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter of Rutgers University in New Brunswick (SJP Rutgers-NB) announced on social media that the encampment had begun on Monday and would remain until their demands for divestment were met.
The group shared images of the encampment on social media, with signs on tents stating messages like “Free Palestine. Divest Now,” “F**k colonialism,” and “Globalize the Intifada.” They emphasized their commitment to staying on Voorhees Mall until their demands were addressed, drawing inspiration from the resilience of Palestinians in Gaza.
Similar protests and encampments have been popping up on college campuses across the United States, including Columbia University, Harvard University, George Washington University, Yale University, University of California Los Angeles, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway expressed support for the students’ right to protest as long as it did not disrupt university operations or hinder the learning of other students.
Protesters at the encampments have made demands for divestment from Israeli companies, an end to academic ties with Israeli universities, and amnesty for those students who have faced disciplinary action for their involvement in the anti-Israel protests. Students across Rutgers locations in New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark allegedly voted in favor of divesting the university’s endowment fund from companies linked to Israel’s human rights violations.
