On Thursday, a group of protesters disrupted a meeting of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. They held signs and chanted slogans like “disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” and “Free, free Palestine!” Many organizations participated in the protest, including CODEPINK and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), among others.
The protesters gathered both inside and outside the meeting room. As they chanted and gave speeches, the protestors made it clear they did not want the meeting to continue. This led to the police stepping in and making arrests. Activists reported that 19 people were arrested during the demonstration.
The protest followed questions raised by students to the Board of Regents about the university’s response to protests on campus. Last spring, students pitched tents on campuses across the country to demand that schools sever ties with Israel, which was involved in retaliatory strikes in Gaza. The violence from both sides of the conflict has been a source of tension, with accusations of war crimes against both Israel and Hamas.
Student activists at UW-Madison are pushing for the university to divest from Israel and reveal all its investments in the country. These protests have led to police involvement, arrests, and increased tension with the administration. In one example, campus police broke up protests last spring, leading to 34 arrests. There were also reports of injuries among both protesters and law enforcement officers.
After the protests, UW administrators reached agreements to end the encampments, but activists continued to voice concerns. CODEPINK accused the Board of Regents of avoiding direct engagement with students and using police to shut down protests instead of addressing their concerns. They also questioned why the Board continues to support Israel despite its own guidelines against funding entities that discriminate.
The response to the protests has caused stress for some students, particularly those facing academic punishments. For example, some students have faced suspensions or holds on their accounts, impacting their ability to enroll in classes. Activists say the university is using heavy monitoring to crack down on protestors both at the individual and organizational level.
Despite the challenges, the students continue to fight for what they see as necessary changes and greater transparency from the university.