Miami’s Students for Justice in Palestine protest with march, encampment

This is a developing story that will be updated with new information as it occurs.

Miami University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) led a march for Palestine on Thursday, May 2 and has currently set up an encampment on Miami’s academic quad.

The march started at 6 p.m. on Western Campus and ended at the seal, where a few tents and hammocks were set up outside of Roudebush Hall, an administrative building, because of its central location on campus.

The protests follow demonstrations led by college students across the country urging their administrators to divest from companies with ties to Israel, some of which have been met by police response and mass arrests.

Darek Sanabria Valderrama, a junior diplomacy and global politics major and upcoming treasurer for SJP, was one of the lead organizers of the demonstration. He said the goal of the protest is to send a message to the administration.

“The student body is willing and looking forward to continuing a process of disclosure and divestment in regards to our endowment money and how that relates to specific companies that are directly involved on the genocide that’s going on in Palestine,” Sanabria Valderrama said.

Maysa Constandinidis, president of Miami’s SJP, addressed the crowd of roughly 50 attendees before leading the march across campus.

“We understand the importance of student voices in demanding change,” Constandinidis said, “and we believe hesitation from the university is violence.”

Photo by Reagan Rude | The Miami Student
Miami's Students for Justice in Palestine urge their university to divest from companies with Israeli ties.

Constandinidis said members of Miami’s SJP had a meeting with Miami President Greg Crawford yesterday after seven months of requesting one. While some steps were made, SJP feels the university lacks a sense of urgency.

“In this meeting, we were continuously met with excuse after excuse as to why the university cannot obtain an itemized list of companies from the investment group they themselves have contracted,” Constandinidis said.

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Sanabria Valderamma said that although some progress was made, SJP hopes the demonstration will highlight the student support for divestment and generate more urgency on the university side.

“We managed to get them to commit to reaching out to the investment group that does Miami’s investing and get new information,” Sanabria Valderrama said. “Even though we made some small progress yesterday, it’s not enough and it’s not happening quickly enough.”

Constantinidis' speech took place at Miami’s Freedom Summer memorial, dedicated to young activists who trained at the Western College for Women in the summer of 1964 before heading down to Mississippi to fight for Black American civil rights.

Following the march, demonstrators erected tents and sat down in the grass on academic quad. The encampment started at about 7 p.m. Some police presence could be seen on the perimeter of the campus, though no movements have yet been made to force the students to leave their encampment.

A group of counterprotesters stood by the seal as well in support of Israel. Matthew Lodge, a senior political science major, was one who attended, holding a half-Israeli-half-United States flag.

“We’re here to show pro-Israel presence,” Lodge said. “We want to make sure that Jewish students here on campus are unafraid. We’re going to show our pride and make sure that pro-terrorist sentiments are put to rest.”

Clara Conover, a senior geography and sustainable development major, is the digital organizer for the Ohio Student Association, which has partnered with SJP to help with media relations.

“We’re joining a long legacy of people who have been setting up encampments and occupying space to encourage and demand universities divest from genocide at the hands of the Israeli state,” Conover said.

Sanabria Valderrama said SJP is planning to stay out on the campus for as long as they can, but will call the encampment off if arrests or “anything serious” are about to happen.

“Our number one priority right now is safety,” Sanabria Valderrama said.

rudere@miamioh.edu

As the encampment started, counter-protestors and members of SJP took over academic quad.

9:00 p.m.

Around 9:10 p.m., Sanabria Valderrama and Constandinidis met with Senior Vice President of Student Life Jayne Brownell, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Scott Walter and Dean of Students BaShaun Smith outside Roudebush hall.

While they were meeting, members of the encampment locked arms and chanted. As those at the encampment yelled, a few with megaphones, individuals at the seal yelled back in defiance.

Around 9:20 p.m., Sanabria Valderrama and Constandinidis returned to the other students and Brownell, Walter and Smith walked into Roudebush.

Sanabria Valderrama and Constandinidis addressed the group of more than 40 protesters to say the administrators said they had until the morning to vacate the area. Constandinidis said the administrators warned that all non-Miami students would be arrested for trespassing and that there was no specific time set for the encampment to be taken down.

After the sun set, protestors chanted while administration talked to SJP leaders.

Sanabria Valderrama said the meeting centered around Brownell, Walter and Smith outlining what policies the encampment went against. Administrators told students they were in violation of section nine of the use of university property policy.

The policy states that “camping outdoors is prohibited except as part of a Student Organization activity in designated areas adjacent to the Shriver Center, on one of the Armstrong Student Center terraces and Phi Delta Theta Gates (corner of Campus Avenue and High Street). Such approval shall not exceed forty-eight (48) hours. Tents, awnings or other temporary structures/covers must be approved by the Physical Facilities Department and all required permits must be obtained.”

“They’re negotiating with us basically and they’re letting us stay overnight, but after that they don’t want us to stay,” Constandinidis said. “They say it's for our safety. Personally, I don't believe that.”

Constandinidis said the administration doesn’t have the safety of students in mind, but they are thinking of what it looks like to outsiders.

“They just want to [let us stay] to make themselves look good because of [how other universities are handling protests] across [the country],” Constandinidis said.

In an email to The Miami Student from Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Jessica Rivinius, she stated that safety is a top priority for all parties involved.

“The safety of our students is Miami University’s top priority, and that priority will guide university actions in this unfolding situation,” Rivinius wrote. “As with any demonstration, university staff have been present to maintain student safety and ensure that university policy is followed. Unfortunately, participants have chosen not to follow university policy. Those present have been informed that they are currently violating policy and must come into compliance.”

Both Constandinidis and Sanabria Valderrama said they expect many students to stay overnight. They said students will leave to get food, water and sleeping materials, but many have said they will wait until administration talks to them again to leave.

turmankd@miamioh.edu

Protestors chanted while Maysa Constandinidis and Darek Sanabria Valderrama talked with administrators. Kasey Turman

10:00 p.m.

As the protest continued, more tents went up and pizza was delivered to Palestine supporters. Around 10:30 p.m., Brownell, Walter and Smith exited Roudebush and spoke with Constandinidis and Sanabria Valderrama. After a couple minutes, Constandinidis informed the protestors that they would tear down the tents and evacuate by 6 a.m.

“YDSA and SJP just made the decision to kind of take down at 6 a.m. and then have a conversation with them again in the morning, but this is not the end. This is only the beginning of our work,” Constandinidis said.

Constandinidis said the meeting tomorrow would be with the “same faces,” referring to the Miami administrators currently present.

As for the Israel supporters, many of them had left, while others stayed but did not plan to stay all night.

“I’m kind of with the rabbi occasionally, so I’m probably gonna leave whenever he leaves,” Daniel Renfield, a master’s in accountancy student, said. “I’ve been here for a while hanging out.”

As the night continued, there were about 30 people supporting Palestine, and about 10 people supporting Israel. Brownell, Smith and Walter were still monitoring the activity.

momanyaj@miamioh.edu

6:00 a.m.

By 6 a.m., tents started to come down but support for Palestine did not waver, with about 20 protesters camping out. Although the protesters agreed to take everything down by 6 a.m., sleeping bags, hammocks and flags littered the ground.

“Yesterday, when we talked to admin, they said as long as we take the tents down, we can basically comply with their rules of encampment,” Constandinidis said.

Photo by Kasey Turman | The Miami Student
Just after 6:00 a.m., protestors packed up the tents used overnight.

She added that they could only occupy the area for 48 hours, and they planned to stay the full amount of time.

Around 4 a.m., Constandinidis said in addition to a few groups throughout the night, four upset people came to the encampment but walked away after being confronted by the ongoing police presence.

“They were very angry,” Constandinidis said. “They were saying nasty stuff.”