Student protesters at CSU Pueblo call for university's 'full divestment' from Israel

About 50 students and community activists gathered at Colorado State University Pueblo on Tuesday to voice solidarity with Palestine and call for the university's "full divestment" from Israel.

BreeAnna Guerra Rodriguez, a sophomore and founder of the group CSUP Students for Pali, told the Chieftain the demonstration was the "first, but not the last" of its kind at CSU Pueblo. Pro-Palestinian students were joined by activists from Community Resources United and El Movimiento Sigue.

"I am a Chicana and Indigenous woman... I recognize what the Palestinians are going through as genocide and ethnic cleansing," Guerra Rodriguez said. "Our struggles are intertwined. They are parallel to one another against and through colonialism, imperialism, and the fight for maintaining the lands in which we are indigenous."

Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, over 75,000 have been injured and over 360,000 buildings have been destroyed by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, 2023 — the date of Hamas' killing of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the subsequent declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to USA Today.

However, Guerra Rodriguez told attendees to remember that the Palestinians' plight did not begin on Oct. 7 and that there has been 75 years of conflict and crimes committed against Palestinians. Guerra Rodriguez also denounced claims that supporting Palestine is anti-Semitic.

"Our goals are to liberate everybody and I encourage anyone who is of the Jewish faith to join us," she said.

While some student demonstrators led chants in support of Palestine, others wrote pro-Palestinian messages in chalk near the university's Fountain Plaza. On the grass surrounding the plaza stood red signs with a list of six demands.

Those demands included calls for the Colorado State University System, including CSU Pueblo, to divest from Israeli corporations, refuse acceptance of grants from corporations contracting with the U.S. military, discontinue any study abroad programs to Israel, fully disclose financial investments, and meet with student organizers.

"We don't want money spent towards Israel or Israeli-funding companies," said Christi Bynum, a recent graduate of CSU Pueblo. "It's complete divestment. We can pour that money into the community."

CSU Pueblo officials erected signs of their own warning individuals that camping overnight on university property is prohibited. Pueblo County sheriff's deputies watched the protest carefully from the roof of the nearby Library and Academic Resource Center.

Additionally, a campus message from CSU Pueblo was sent to the community on April 30, encouraging individuals to participate in any demonstration "respectfully and responsibly" while upholding "tolerance, inclusivity, and mutual respect."

"As an institution of higher education, CSU Pueblo is committed to promoting open dialogue, free expression, and the exchange of diverse perspectives within our university community," according to the campus message.

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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: College students demand CSU Pueblo's full divestment from Israel