Pro-Palestine protesters reject $15K offer to end Auraria Campus encampment
DENVER (KDVR) — The Auraria Executives Council wrote to the Students for a Democratic Society on Thursday, offering $15,000 to be sent to the Red Cross if the protest encampment is taken down by 5 p.m.
The letter was sent to FOX31 at about 2:45 p.m. The protesters have been on the Tivoli Quad of the Auraria Campus in Denver since Thursday, April 25.
Students for a Democratic Society stated Wednesday that the encampment will remain until all its demands are met. The group is protesting against the conflict in Gaza and asking their universities to divest finances from companies connected to the country and issue a statement “condemning the genocidal actions of Israel.”
Pro-Palestine protesters meet with Auraria Campus leaders as encampment continues
Auraria is home to the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and Community College of Denver. On Thursday, executives from each school wrote a letter to the student group. The group called these “unprecedented times” and said they have been seeking a “diplomatic path forward” to keep students safe, keep campus operational and avoid further “conflict or occupation due to the current protest on the Tivoli Quad.”
To that end, the executives said a group of donors is offering a “nonpartisan humanitarian solution to restore order to the Quad by removing the encampment.”
“The donors will give $15,000 in the SDS’s name to the international committee of the Red Cross, a nonpartisan humanitarian resource with locations in both Gaza and Tel Aviv,” the letter stated, but added a condition. “The donor and Auraria leadership only agree to the above offer if the encampment comes down by 5 pm today and future protests comply with all Auraria Campus Policies.”
SDS responded in public statements made at the encampment, including a video statement published at about 3:15 p.m.
“That’s what they think the solution is, more money to another group with ties to Israel, to a corrupt group that has done a lot of mismanagement and always neglects the most vulnerable,” said Geral Mueller, a student at the University of Colorado Denver and SDS-Denver leader. “Shame.”
The executives also said they agree to continue having “set meetings” with the student group.
“To do what?” said Mueller. “Not meet our demands? They want to buy us out of here and they’re like, ‘I know what would make you remove your encampment: We’re going to ignore all of your demands and donate more money in your name to a corporation that operates in Israel.'”
The Auraria Executives Council responded again with a letter, and said they remain open to dialogue to “explore constructive solutions that address protester concerns within our control.”
“We want to move forward together,” the executives wrote. “We deeply appreciate the generous offer by multiple donors to support humanitarian aid and the broader community supporting us in identifying peaceful options for resolution. This act of philanthropy reflects a shared commitment to the humanitarian crisis and the needs of our campus community.”
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SDS leadership said on Wednesday that they believe they “must engage in civil disobedience” in order to have their demands met. One of the SDS leaders said that Auraria executives are “fine with protests, as long as it doesn’t lead to positive change.”
The group also said that if their demands were met, they would “pack (the camp) up in five minutes.”
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