Pro-Palestine student protesters have reached an agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and UW-Madison to end their two-week-long encampments.
UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said on May 12 that students have begun dismantling tents on the lawn outside of Mitchell Hall and agreed not to disrupt the university’s commencement ceremonies.
Mr. Mone acknowledged the criticism directed toward the university for not forcing the removal of the camp earlier, but he added that UWM was seeking resolution through dialogue.
“Today, as this agreement goes into effect and the encampment begins to come down, we are thankful there were no significant safety issues and that counterprotests remained peaceful,” he stated.
Protest organizer UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition said the encampment has been “a vital tool in pressuring UWM to cut any and all ties with the occupying, oppressive, settler-colonial regime of Israel.”
The group said that it reached a resolution with the university after engaging in “countless email communications and lengthy meetings” with UWM administrators.
Divesting Still on Table
According to the agreement, the UWM Foundation will hold a meeting on May 14 with student protesters after the camps are dismantled to discuss divesting from Israel-linked companies.“We recognize that divestment is not an overnight process; however, our coalition will now turn its attention and focus to the Foundation in pursuit of divestment,” the protest organizer stated.
Meanwhile, UW-Madison said on May 10 that campus leaders and protest organizer Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have reached an agreement.
The campus reiterated its “strong condemnation of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate and bigotry in all its forms” while recognizing “the costs of war and displacement on so many across the globe.”
“We also understand that the encampment made others in our community, especially portions of our Jewish community, feel uncomfortable and unseen,” it stated.
In addition, the campus agreed to add to the Division of Student Affairs a staff member “whose work will focus on supporting students impacted by the war, violence, and displacement.”
The agreement also states that campus administrators would recommend leniency for students charged by the police department on campus, except for those who face felony charges.