University of Oregon reaches agreement to dismantle Palestinian solidarity encampment
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After weeks of demonstrations from students at a University of Oregon encampment supporting the people of Palestine, the school has announced an agreement with students to remove the site.
According to a letter from UO President Karl Scholz, the students have chosen to voluntarily leave the area by 9 p.m. Thursday following several attempted agreements with university staff.
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Demonstrations first formed on April 29 and continued in the month of May. Administrators pressured those involved to leave the area by threatening to revoke academic amnesty on May 7. The university drafted an agreement on May 9, but students turned it down.
Scholz shared the following message in his letter to the campus:
While our agreement is substantially similar to the proposal we had originally submitted on May 9, we recognize that all parties have benefitted from additional dialogue, trust-building, and the continued exploration of the reasonable and helpful actions now reflected in this agreement.
As we look forward, I am heartened by the resilience and restraint of our faculty, students, staff, and others. Our ability to navigate through the last few weeks without the scenes of violence seen elsewhere speaks volumes about our ability to accommodate differing viewpoints while advocating for what we believe is important. I would also like to acknowledge the University of Oregon students, many of whom have made known their perspectives and strong convictions across multiple viewpoints. We also acknowledge that this period has been especially painful to many in our Jewish community.
We commit to continuing to use our educational mission to advance discussion, debate, and scholarship that can add insight to our understanding of the current conflict and of the Middle East. The last few weeks have tested us in many ways. I encourage everyone to find ways to rest, to reset, and to celebrate our extraordinary community. I look forward to doing this with you in a few weeks when we honor our students and their families at graduation.
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The agreement follows an occupation at Portland State University earlier this month in which a mix of students and non-students took over PSU’s Millar Library in a protest calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The occupation lasted until May 2 when police moved in and cleared the library. Since then PSU has estimated the cost of restoration will be roughly $750,000.
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