Protestors at the University of California, Riverside reached an agreement with school officials to end the Pro-Palestinian campus occupation Friday night.
The encampment began on April 29 as protestors occupied the area beside Bell Tower. The movement was led by the university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
Protestors demanded the university disclose its investments and funding and that it should divest from companies and institutions that are “complicit in the Israeli occupation, apartheid, and genocide” of Palestinians.
There were also calls for UCR to sever ties with Israeli universities, including student exchange programs, according to the Press-Enterprise.
A negotiation meeting took place on May 1 and a planned rally later that day drew several hundred participants to the campus.
On Friday, campus leaders and demonstrators successfully reached an agreement to end the encampment no later than Friday, May 3, by midnight, according to UCR officials.
“I am pleased to share that we have reached an agreement that will result in the peaceful conclusion of the encampment,” said UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox. “It has been my goal to resolve this matter peacefully and I am encouraged by this outcome – which was generated through constructive dialogue.”
As part of the agreement, university officials settled on these terms:
- All currently public information on UC’s investments will be posted to the UCR campus website. It will continue to be updated as the UC releases more information. The goal is to get full disclosure of the list of companies in the portfolio and the size of the investments.
- The UCR Administration agrees to form a task force that includes students appointed by ASUCR’s Diversity Council and faculty appointed by the Academic Senate to explore the removal of UCR’s endowment from the management of the UC Investments Office, and the investment of said endowment in a manner that will be financially and ethically sound for the university with consideration to the companies involved in arms manufacturing and delivery.
- The goal of this task force is to produce a report to present to the UCR Foundation Board of Trustees by the end of Winter Quarter 2025. The task force will be formed by the end of the Spring 2024 quarter.
- Commitment to bimonthly meetings with the AVC of Auxiliary Services and an ongoing review of Sabra Hummus consistent with existing product review processes until we can find a resolution.
- The School of Business has discontinued Global Programs in Oxford, USA, Cuba, Vietnam, Brazil, China, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel.
- UCR will modify its approval process for all study abroad programs to ensure compliance with UC’s Anti-Discriminatory Policies.
The encampment at UC Riverside is one of many pro-Palestinian demonstrations taking place on college campuses across the country in response to the Israel-Hamas War that began on Oct. 7, 2023.
In Southern California, protests and rallies took place at USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, Cal State Long Beach, Pitzer College in Claremont and UC San Diego.
Most campus demonstrations remained peaceful despite violence breaking out at UCLA on April 30 when dozens of pro-Israeli protestors, many wearing white masks, swarmed the campus and attempted to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment that overtook Royce Quad since April 25.
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Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 2: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest at UCLA as the US Police attempt to disperse the crowd, in Los Angeles, California, USA on May 2, 2024. (Photo by Grace Yoon/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – May 2: Police officers push pro-Palestinian protesters backwards after an oder to disperse was given at UCLA early Thursday morning. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
A large encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the UCLA campus on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 2: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest at UCLA as the US Police attempt to disperse the crowd, in Los Angeles, California, USA on May 2, 2024. (Photo by Grace Yoon/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – May 2: Police officers clash with pro-Palestinian protesters as a fire extinguisher is deployed at UCLA early Thursday morning. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
Police react while pro-Palestinian students stand their ground after police breached their encampment at the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protestor while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment after dispersal orders were given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and over 100 protestors who refused to leave were detained during the operation. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers clear a pro-Palestinian encampment after a dispersal order was given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES CA MAY 2, 2024 — Police tear down the tents on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protestor near encampment graffiti while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment after dispersal orders were given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and over 100 protestors who refused to leave were detained during the operation. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
Police patrol as workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
Police make an arrest as they face-off with pro-Palestinian students after destroying part of the encampment barricade on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) -
Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protestor while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment after dispersal orders were given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and over 100 protestors who refused to leave were detained during the operation. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 2: Pro-Palestinian protestors build a makeshift wall in an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and many protestors have been detained. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – May 2: Police officers clash with pro-Palestinian protesters as a fire extinguisher is deployed at UCLA early Thursday morning. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES CA MAY 2, 2024 — Police at one of the buildings on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
Workers clean up the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus after police evicted pro-Palestinian students, in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. Hundreds of police tore down protest barricades and began arresting students early Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles – the latest flashpoint in an eruption of protest on US campuses over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES CA MAY 2, 2024 — Police and protestors face off on the UCLA campus Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
Police face-off with pro-Palestinian students after destroying part of the encampment barricade on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, early on May 2, 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)
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Pro-Palestinian protestors refused to leave the UCLA campus after officers arrived and a dispersal order was given on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
Police officers arrived as a dispersal order was given to a large encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the UCLA campus on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
Around two dozen enforcement vehicles seen on the campus of UCLA on May 1 after violence broke out against pro-Palestinian demonstrators and pro-Israeli counter-protesters. (KTLA) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 2: A Pro-Palestinian protestor barricades a door in an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and many protestors have been detained. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 2: <> on May 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) -
A large encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the UCLA campus on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
A large encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the UCLA campus on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
A large encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the UCLA campus on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
US Police officers stand guard near a pro-Palestinian encampment set up on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), after clashes erupted in Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. Clashes broke out on May 1, 2024 around pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of California, Los Angeles, as universities around the United States struggle to contain similar protests on dozens of campuses. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – May 1: Pro-Palestinian protestors and pro-Israeli supporters clash at an encampment at UCLA early Wednesday morning. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – May 1: Pro-Palestinian protestors protect themselves from pro-Israeli supporters next at an the encampment at UCLA early Wednesday morning. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
A large encampment of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered on the UCLA campus on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
Pro-Palestinian protestors refused to leave the UCLA campus after officers arrived and a dispersal order was given on May 1, 2024. (KTLA) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 2: Pro-Palestinian protestors barricade a door in an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and many protestors have been detained. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 1: Signs supporting Pro-Palestinian protestors are seen in an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus on May 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and many protestors have been detained. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 02: A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protestor while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment after dispersal orders were given at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, on May 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared ‘unlawful’ by the university and over 100 protestors who refused to leave were detained during the operation. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
Remnants of the pro-Palestinian protest encampment at UCLA on May 2, 2024. (KTLA)
The agitators threw fireworks at the encampment and attacked demonstrators with bear or pepper spray. Many people were seen punching and fist-fighting on the lawn during the late-night ambush.
Removal of the tents at the UC Riverside encampment have begun and will be cleared by Friday at midnight.
“UCR values students’ right to practice peaceful free speech, as well as our Principles of Community and the safety of our students, staff, faculty, and visitors,” said Chancellor Wilson. “This agreement does not change the realities of the war in Gaza, or the need to address antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bias and discrimination; however, I am grateful that we can have constructive and peaceful conversations on how to address these complex issues.”