The pro-Palestinian encampment at Oregon State University has relocated, as the school continues to crack down on the students who are involved.
There are currently around 35 tents on the university's campus in Corvallis. Protestors there are asking OSU to disclose its financial investments, call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and agree to cut ties with Israel.
On Wednesday, the encampment moved to a lawn near the Valley Library, following two weeks at the Memorial Union Quad.
Protesters say the decision came after eight people received citations from OSU, banning them for a year from the Memorial Union, the Quad, and the Student Experience Center Plaza.
“They’re all of the central locations of the university,” said Masha, an encampment spokesperson who declined to give their last name. “This is where pretty much all events happen.”
In an email to KLCC, OSU spokesperson Rob Odom said a community member had complained that the protestors blocked them from accessing a public sidewalk.
Masha claimed the protestors were stopping an outside agitator from harassing the encampment. They said organizers have moved because they didn't want to continue without those members.
According to Odom, students who were involved have been referred to disciplinary officials, but he didn’t confirm the details of their punishments.
Past the Deadline
OSU has given the encampment several deadlines to disperse. But organizers have declined, arguing the school's current response to their demands isn't strong enough.
Odom said the school's Department of Public Safety is now reporting participating students for violations of the student conduct code, and referring university employees to Human Resources for potential disciplinary action.
The university has previously warned protestors that it could use criminal statutes to hold them accountable. It's argued the encampment violates its free expression and ground-use rules.
“The overnight encampment on Oregon State University’s Corvallis campus is violating university policy," said Odom, “draining limited public safety resources, creating safety risks for protestors and others, and forcing the cancellation of student-sponsored events, impacting thousands of other community members.”
Masha said protestors are open to negotiations, and even amendments to their demands. But to do that, they said high-level administrative officials like the Provost and President must agree to meet.
“They just give us short deadlines to stress us out and harm our movement,” said Masha. "So we’re gonna be working on our own terms until they agree to actual negotiations with us.”
Masha said the encampment will appeal the current student conduct charges, but they're grateful for the relative lack of a police response so far.
