It's day three of a peaceful pro-Palestine protest on the UC Santa Barbara campus near North Hall and the library.
The mostly student-residents of the pro-Palestine UCSB encampment were in good spirits after three days of camping on the campus lawn but many were reluctant to speak with me for fear of retaliation which is why UCSB Senior Lexi wouldn’t give me her last name, but she did answer some of my questions.
"Our goal here is not to interact with counter-protesters but to invite the community to advocate for liberation with us and to free everyone from imperialists and colonialist projects," Lexi explained.
While at the encampment, I saw students going to class, doing yoga, playing music, and studying in their tents. There is even a table for education about Middle East topics.
"Just people having really good conversations about what liberation looks like to us," Lexi said.
UCSB Political Science student Marina Koukis, who has been at camp since day one, says she stays because, "I think that any human rights violation... should be given the importance that it has, and I don't think that the international system, I don't think America, I don't think that any other country has given this the proper attention," Koukis said.
In addition to bringing awareness to the human rights issues in Palestine and Israel, the group also has a list of demands for the university.
"Our top demands are disclose, divest, and demilitarize. Our goal is to get the demands passed, and that's why we're here. So who's to say how long will be here, but we don't plan on taking it down anytime soon," Lexi said.
In response, the UC Santa Barbara Chancellor provided a written statement saying, in part, ”We are monitoring these situations carefully in coordination with campus safety personnel, maintaining lines of communication with our students, faculty, and staff to ensure the safety of everyone in our community…..Those violating laws and codes of conduct in unsanctioned, illegal, and disruptive activities, whether non-affiliates or members of our campus community are subject to legal and disciplinary action.”
Full statement - https://chancellor.ucsb.edu/memos/2024-05-02-campus-update
During my time at the encampment, several more tents arrived, growing the number to around 60 or more and taking up two neighboring grassy areas. Students tell me the protest has been entirely peaceful and they hope it stays that way.
