May 3, 2024
Students at Brown Just Secured a Vote on Divestment. What Happens Next?
By Finn Cooley
On April 30, protesters disbanded their encampment when the university pledged to vote on divestment from companies affiliated with Israel. This shows a different way of doing things.
On the same day that Columbia University called in the NYPD to arrest dozens of pro-Palestine protesters, the encampment at Brown University ended peacefully. Students successfully negotiated a deal with the administration: If the governing body agreed to vote on a proposal to divest the school’s $6.6 billion endowment from companies affiliated with Israel, protesters would leave.
The 152-hour Gaza Solidarity Encampment organized by the Brown Divest Coalition (BDC) began on April 24 with 120 students. Since Israel’s assault on Gaza began, students at Brown have also organized two sit-ins and a hunger strike, resulting in the arrest of 61 people, with dozens still facing trespassing charges because of their involvement.
Throughout these demonstrations, students’ demands have remained grounded in divestment, but Brown University’s President Christina Paxson refused to bring their proposal to the university’s highest governing body.
