UC Berkeley students make ‘Camp Free Palestine’ to get school to divest from companies aiding Israel

Pro-Palestinian activists on Monday organized a “Camp Free Palestine” in front at the University of California at Berkeley, similar to what students at Columbia University in New York have done in recent days. 

The gathering spot was in front of Sprout Hall in the main quad area of the campus. As of Monday afternoon, there was at least a dozen tents. 

“With three weeks left in the semester, Berkeley is prioritizing students’ academic interests,” a school statement to Fox News states. “We will take the steps necessary to ensure the protest does not disrupt the university’s operations. There are no plans to change the university's investment policies and practices.” 

Organizers with the UC Berkeley Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine said the encampment is in solidarity with students from Columbia University and elsewhere who’ve been arrested. They said the tents will remain until the school divests from corporations, particularly military manufacturers, that are aiding Israel in its war effort against Hamas. 

Participants said they were prepared to be arrested. A rally on Monday drew several hundred people and was peaceful.