Williams College students shutting down encampment

WILLIAMSTOWN, M.A. (NEWS10) – Williams College students said they’ll pack up the pro-Palestine encampment Monday night. That’s because they’ve negotiated with the school’s administration and have locked in meetings with the board of trustees.

Demonstrators agreed to shut down the encampment – for now – ahead of the school’s commencement ceremony on June 2, in exchange for two meetings centered on divestment.

Students at Williams College had been camped out for nearly two weeks, since May 1, and called on the college to divest from weapons manufacturing. 

“Williams College currently has no ethical investment standards, so looking to get more of that,” said Deena Iqbal, who is with the organization Students for Justice in Palestine.

She said the school is indirectly funding the ongoing genocide, through fund managers, and wants to know exactly where their investments are going. And Mia Calzolaio, with Jews for Justice, agrees. They said they had an initial meeting with the president of the college and the chief investment officer. 

“Who basically told us that the number of funds that were invested in these sort of weapons manufacturers was not zero, but they are unable to provide us with an exact number because of the sort of diffused and obscure way that the college’s investment strategy is set up,” said Calzolaio.

They drafted “Williams Divest Now!: A Comprehensive Report from Williams Jews for Justice and Students for Justice in Palestine, a 20-page report. Calzolaio said they drafted the report to educate themselves and establish precedent for divestment. They’ve secured the meetings with the board of trustees and are thankful they have not been forced out by security or police.

“But I also think the administration has figured out a way to sort of quietly nudge us out. and in that sense it is still voluntary, but it is certainly forced in some regards. covertly forced,” said Calzolaio.

Amy Garcia, who is also with Students for Justice in Palestine, said the administration wanted them gone by May 10. 

“But because commencement happens on this lawn that became leveraged in negotiations,” said Garcia. “The agreement was contingent upon us agreeing to pack up the encampment and to not disrupt commencement which they have been very strongly warning us about.”

The administration urged them to be out by May 20, the same day the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (ACSR) is set to issue recommendations to the investment committee. However, organizers decided to pack up Monday after achieving their goal of continued negotiations.

“We decided to do it today so we can prepare for a 24-hour solidarity fast,” said Garcia.

She said just because they’re packing up doesn’t mean they’ve given up.

“We hope that by continuing to pressure the board of trustees, especially in the follow up meeting in September and onward, that we will be able to show the college that they need to be more responsive to students,” said Garcia.

Organizers said they will advocate for environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing when they meet with the board May 30 and again in September.