USF student protesters defy deadline to vacate encampment
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Students at the University of San Francisco protesting the war in Gaza are holding a rally Tuesday after a deadline to vacate their encampment or face potential sanctions has passed. In a letter posted to the USF website addressed to “Member of the People’s University of Palestine,” school administrators set a 3 p.m. deadline for students to vacate the encampment.
Students who voluntarily vacate the encampment at Welch Field by 3 p.m. will face “no code of conduct repercussions for those who violated time, place, and manner restrictions,” the letter states. However, for students who do not vacate the field by 3 p.m., “there will be no amnesty and the code of conduct process for time, place, and manner violations will commence immediately,” the letter continues.
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However, according to KRON4’s Rob Nesbitt reporting at the scene, that deadline has passed and the student protesters remain on Welch Field.
Student protestors at USF are remaining on Welch Field, even after the 3pm deadline they were given by the university to clear the tent encampment. They are holding a rally now. @kron4news pic.twitter.com/4bv8R0peAn
— Rob Nesbitt (@RobNesbittNews) May 14, 2024
The letter, which was also distributed to the broader faculty, staff and student community, cites incidents in which Jewish and Israeli members of the community, “students, faculty, librarians, and staff,” have experienced “hateful speech, harassment” and “fear on campus.”
The USF administration also reiterated its call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
However, a statement from students occupying Welch Field said a meeting between organizers and the administration “went badly.”
“The administration sent an email in support of Israeli students, and was silent on the reports of harassment, filed by Palestinian students,” a statement read. Rather than vacate the encampment, student organizers plan to hold a rally at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
KRON4 reached out to USF directly for comment and received the following statement:
“The university is continuing to prioritize communication, dialogue, and de-escalation with the protesters. Our conversations have been shaped by the expectation that protesters recognize the need to balance free expression with safety and respectful dialogue. We remain committed to continued dialogue and have not cut off conversation. The 3 p.m. May 14 deadline in which we asked students to voluntarily vacate Welch Field in exchange for amnesty refers to an internal disciplinary process led by the USF Office of Student Conduct. There are no plans to clear the encampment or involve law enforcement as long as the encampment is peaceful and nonviolent.”
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