Anti-Israel protesters celebrate victory in deal with Brown University
Brown University on Tuesday reached an agreement with anti-Israel protesters on its Ivy League campus to end the encampment there.
Demonstrators said they would close their encampment in exchange for administrators taking a vote to consider divestment from Israel in October. The compromise appeared to mark the first time a U.S. college has agreed to vote on divestment in the wake of the protests.
“The devastation and loss of life in the Middle East has prompted many to call for meaningful change, while also raising real issues about how best to accomplish this,” Brown President Christina H. Paxton wrote in a message to campus.
“Brown has always prided itself on resolving differences through dialog, debate and listening to each other. I cannot condone the encampment, which was in violation of University policies. Also, I have been concerned about the escalation in inflammatory rhetoric that we have seen recently, and the increase in tensions at campuses across the country. I appreciate the sincere efforts on the part of our students to take steps to prevent further escalation.”
Anti-Israel activists on campus celebrated news of the deal, which brought an end to the encampment.
Last November, Paxton was caught omitting references to Jewish students on campus in a speech after she was heckled by pro-Palestinian activists.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
Posted by Chris Pandolfo
