MILWAUKEE — The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Popular for Palestine Coalition camped out overnight and continued to protest for a second day on campus.

Dozens of tents remain in front of Mitchell Hall and around 40 students camped overnight in tents with homemade barricades around the encampment.

What You Need To Know

  • Dozens of tents remain in front of Mitchell Hall and around 40 students camped overnight in tents with homemade barricades around the encampment at UW-Milwaukee

  • The UWM Popular for Palestine Coalition camped out overnight and continue to protest for a second day on campus

  • Protestors said the response from the university did not meet the demands they have

  • Student Samia Saeed said she is glad to be a part of the national movement of encampments on college campuses across the United States

Demands were set by the UWM Popular for Palestine Coalition. They include:

  • "UWM must publicly disclose all financial assets including endowments, donations, mutual fund portfolios, and all other holdings and investments made by UWM Foundation
  • "UWM must cease all business with any organization or corporation that profits from, or supports the occupation of Palestine
  • "UWM must cease all collaboration with educational institutions in occupied Palestine, which would include but is not limited to: Ending all study abroad trips to the occupation, and removing any advertising of third party trips on university platforms. Ending all student exchange programs with universities in occupied Palestine. Ending all research partnerships with universities and other institutions in occupied Palestine
  • "UWM must release a public statement condemning the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by the apartheid state of Israel - a regime responsible for the slaughter of over 40,000 civilians and the obliteration of every single university in Gaza"

 

The university responded to these demands late Monday evening, saying in part:

“First, UWM has expressed in campus messages and meetings with students that we share in the heartbreak felt by our community and many around the world. We reiterate our call for an end to the violence by joining the White House and international leaders in calling for a release of the hostages and a ceasefire.

“We say this knowing that, as a public university, we have no direct ability to impact the outcomes of the war in Gaza. We also know that many of our Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim and Arab American community members are suffering as they watch loved ones directly and indirectly harmed by this war.

“We want to reiterate that UWM has no investments in weapons manufacturers. Unlike some private institutions that have investments, UWM is funded with a combination of state funding, tuition, program revenue and grants. The UWM Foundation is a separate legal entity from UWM, and UWM cannot control the foundation’s investments. Regardless, those investments are through mutual funds. The foundation cannot disinvest from individual companies within those funds.

“UWM has also been called to suspend any academic relationship with institutions or entities in Israel. While UWM does not have any active study abroad programs with universities in Israel, prohibiting faculty from engaging with any institution or country would infringe on their academic freedom. Although we understand the protesters’ desire for the safety and peace of all those in Gaza, stifling academic freedom or free speech would not accomplish that goal.”

Students who are protesting said the university’s response is not enough.

“The response that they gave did not meet the demands that we have,” UWM Popular for Palestine Coalition student organizer Amen Atta said. “There is no accountability, for example, when we asked for them to release a statement condemning the state of Israel. That was not done. Them calling for an end to violence, why can’t we say where the violence is coming from?”

Ameen Atta is Palestinian. He said this cause is near and dear to his heart and one of the reasons he camped overnight outside.

“I see people saying, ‘Why are these students here?’” he said. “Nationally, as we have seen this mission going on around the country. There are a lot of people who don’t understand. They say, ‘What are these kids doing? Why are they constantly out here causing a ruckus, yelling, whatever?’ I just say to the whole community, are you more upset that we are peacefully here on this campus or are you more upset that there are no more universities in Gaza?”

Student Samia Saeed said she is glad to be a part of the national movement of encampments on college campuses across the United States.

Saeed said she is mostly inspired by the people of Gaza and has even seen messages online from them.

“To know that they can see is, it’s amazing,” Saeed said. “We are, like I said, inspired by them. They have been going through this for the past 75 years, and they have been strong,”

While camping on campus ground is against state code, protestors said they don’t have plans to leave until their demands are met.

Read UW-Milwaukee’s full statement, here. 

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