Hundreds gathered for a rally Tuesday morning near the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Oregon, as organizers faced down a deadline to disperse.
The university's administration had given protesters until noon on Tuesday to stop violating the school’s reservation and camping policies. Moving forward, it says it will begin punishing violations of the student conduct code.
In a letter Tuesday, UO President Karl Scholz thanked the encampment for its relative peacefulness, but said the violation of long-standing campus rules and the drain on educational resources couldn't continue.
"We are concerned about the potential for outside groups to increase or escalate what had begun as a student-led protest," wrote Scholz. "We have already seen what appears to be antisemitic provocation at UO and worry these harmful efforts will grow."
At Tuesday's rally, multiple faculty members called on UO to refrain from escalating the situation.
“We stand in opposition to police repression, and the suspension, expulsion or retaliation against students currently participating in our Gaza solidarity encampment on campus," said Kaleigh Bronson with UO Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine.
So far, more than 120 UO employees have signed onto UO FSJP's letter supporting the encampment. Nearly 80 have signed a separate letter centered on the students' rights to free speech.
"[We] stand in solidarity with our students who are exercising their fundamental rights to protest injustice, to hold their institution accountable and to exercise academic freedom," said Bronson.
The deadline came and went without any significant changes to the encampment. Students have said they don't plan to leave.
The university has pledged to allow more meetings with student representatives in coming days. In an email to KLCC, representative Angela Seydel said the school's still committed to finding a peaceful resolution.
