Student Protestors Occupy Cornell’s Arts Quad (Local News: April 25, 2024)
Student Protestors Occupy Cornell's Arts Quad—
Activists at Cornell set up an encampment Thursday morning in the university’s arts quad. The Coalition for Mutual Liberation (or CML) called the encampment a “liberated zone” meant to further pressure Cornell to divest from what they call the university’s complicity in genocide in Gaza.
Malak, a fourth year undergrad explained why she is participating:
“So I'm a student here at Cornell. But I'm also Palestinian. And I have family in Gaza that has been surviving this genocide for like the past, what is it, 200 days? I've lost family members. I have uncles that were killed in their homes because they were bombed. Others that are starving, others that have been displaced for hundreds of days. You know, my cousins are waiting in line for like two to three hours just to get water, to get food for their family. And you know, he's lost like all chance of like ever going to university. So all of these things that are like very personal to me, just because of like my family, I feel like I couldn't not attend and join the encampment.”
A team from CML has been negotiating with Cornell’s administration throughout the day. According to the Ithaca Voice, the administration told CML the group’s tents had to be removed from the arts quad but could be moved to Day Hall but the student decided not to move.
Malak explained she’s still deciding how much risk to take on herself, but that people inside the encampment could face disciplinary action up to and including suspension.
She described a peaceful scene Thursday afternoon:
“Like people inside the encampment, they're sitting down playing card games, studying, taking naps, eating, providing food, water anyone up standing around whether you're with us or against us. And then around the encampment is like tarp. Right? But outside of it there's people standing holding signs making art. And a lot of people just sitting down like in circles like there's a lot of people just sitting on the grass outside the encampment sitting down in solidarity.”
She said there were about 300 people there including students, faculty, and community members. This is a developing story. The administration told students the area occupied by the encampment must be cleared by 8pm. By 4:30 Thursday, there was no apparent police presence at the encampment.
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