The live updates on day four of the sit-in have concluded. Follow live updates of day five here. See previous coverage of days one, two, and three.
The “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” sit-in protest enters its fourth day, after another quiet night in McCosh Courtyard.
The Daily Princetonian observed no warnings from PSAFE overnight. It drizzled throughout the evening, with some protesters moving under the large tent in McCosh with the University’s authorization.
The encampment began in McCosh Courtyard in the morning of Thursday, April 25, resulting in the arrest of two graduate students minutes after protesters attempted to pitch tents. Day three of the sit-in featured speakers including Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American organizer and former chair of the Women’s March.
Lawnparties are set to begin today, with wristbanding starting at 10 a.m. at Campus Club, a change from the previous McCosh Courtyard location. Last night, Undergraduate Student Government (USG) held an emergency meeting to discuss the sit-in for the first time; a statement from USG adding additional context around the change to wristband locations is forthcoming.
Little activity as the night wears on— April 29, 4:02 a.m.
In the early hours of the morning, activity at the encampment lulls. The warmest night of the sit-in thus far, protesters number around ten individuals. Some work on laptops and mingle, while others are lying down under blankets. Three student safety marshals are present, monitoring the sit-in.
It rained for a short time tonight, during which protestors moved under a nearby tent on the western end of McCosh Courtyard. They came prepared though, as umbrellas from earlier this afternoon are abundant. Now, all that remains of the short rain spell are damp sleeping bags and blankets.
USG statement forthcoming, no comment on arrests — April 29, 3:12 a.m.
Following a fast-paced meeting of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate the evening of Sunday, April 28, USG is set to release a statement on the sit-in by midday April 29, according to USG President Avi Attar ’25.
In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ Parliamentarian Sebastian Mehrzad ’26 confirmed that the statement will not include the amendment proposed by Sustainability Chair Quentin Colón Roosevelt, which means that USG’s statement will not explicitly condemn the arrests of Achinthya Sivalingam GS and Hassan Sayed GS on Thursday when the encampment was first established.
The statement is set to release before the Council of the Princeton University Committee (CPUC) meets at 4:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, at the sit-in, about 25 people are present, and around three PSAFE officers are on duty.
CPUC committee members resign — April 29, 12:34 a.m.
This evening, a number of graduate student representatives on a Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) committee resigned over the University’s response to the sit-in, and specifically the arrest of two graduate students. The CPUC is set to meet on Monday, April 29.
The representatives who are resigning — Jiya Pandya GS, Camille Borders GS, and Judy Kim, who is a postdoc — serve on the CPUC Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Climate, Culture, and Conduct at Princeton. Pandya announced the resignations in a 10:10 p.m. email to President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Jarrett Fisher, Dean of the Graduate School Rodney Priestly, Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun, and other members of the committee.
CPUC is a body composed of students, faculty, staff, and alumni representatives which meets six times per year and serves as “a permanent conference of the representatives of all major groups of the University.”
“The university’s actions last week, first intimidating and then disciplining the very colleagues we seek to protect, go against the committee’s goal of campus well-being,” the group wrote. “The repression of popular and historically meaningful forms of public student protest against University investments in a global war machine makes Princeton a less inclusive, open, and critical campus. We cannot, in good conscience, continue to serve on committees dedicated to well-being, transparency, and inclusivity, when the university administration acts in flagrant violation of those principles.”
Their resignations follow a statement on X by Genevieve Yue ’01, an alumni member of the committee, on Thursday afternoon, announcing her resignation from the committee for similar reasons.
“Like Genevieve, we would be glad to return to this committee upon the dropping of all disciplinary charges against Achinthya Sivalingam and Hassan Sayed and their full instatement as members of Princeton's graduate community,” today’s email stated.
They concluded, “We also fully endorse and amplify the demands of our colleagues on McCosh lawn that Princeton disclose and divest from its financial holdings in companies that profit from the Israeli occupation and eliminate all projects which contribute to weapons research.”
USG to release statement on sit-in, sun sets over hot day — April 28, 8:01 p.m.
A special USG meeting has concluded — they are set to issue a statement “concerning the freedom of expression and protest,” according to drafts sent to The Daily Princetonian.
The encampment has remained crowded into the evening, with about 150 people gathered. After a hot day, the courtyard is now out of direct sunlight. Some protesters took a break from sitting by playing soccer under the large University tent on the other end of the courtyard
At 6:03 p.m., an organizer reminded protesters to drink water and electrolytes, eat, and apply sunscreen. Temperatures peaked around 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, making it the hottest day of the sit-in thus far. Tomorrow has a chance to beat that record with a projected high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Around 7 p.m., a youth choir from a nearby church gave a performance.
Headliner Lil Tecca finishes set without disruption from protest — April 28, 4:30 p.m.
The sit-in continued its programming of speakers as scheduled. No attempt was made to disrupt Lawnparties headliner Lil Tecca’s performance, which was ongoing nearby on the Frist North Lawn.
A banner reading “Princeton you can’t hide! You are funding genocide!” was unfurled and displayed from a second story window in Woolworth Music Center, to no reaction from the student crowd. PSAFE promptly removed the banner.
Counter-protesters arrived at the sit-in. As with many previous encounters, individuals participating in the demonstration did not respond.
As Lil Tecca finished his set, one organizer took the microphone and said he was “outraged” that people were partying at Lawnparties during the sit-in. The crowd started chanting “While you are partying, Israel is bombing.”
When the set finished, Lawnparties attendees left Lil Tecca’s performance in waves, with many flooding the McCosh Courtyard area at the perimeter of the sit-in. Apparently calling out to passers-by, protesters grew louder and stood, chanting “Join us.”
Lil Tecca declined to comment on the sit-in when asked by the ‘Prince’ prior to his performance.
Student opener performs as speaker programming continues at the sit-in — April 28, 3:03 p.m.
Chris Hedges addresses the sit-in at the McCosh courtyard during a religious service.
Calvin Grover / The Daily Princetonian
Sound from the main Lawnparties stage can be heard from the McCosh courtyard, where the sit-in continues. Student opener Weatherboy is currently playing ahead of headliner Lil Tecca’s expected appearance on stage at 3:15 p.m., and students attending the performance have begun entering the Frist North lawn.
About 500 feet away at the sit-in, umbrellas were distributed as temperatures reached 76 degrees under a cloudless sky. A Christian religious service has commenced, featuring a speech from Chris Hedges, who is an ordained minister. Hedges was previously banned from campus for one day, following his usage of amplified sound on the first day of the sit-in.
“To resist radical evil, as you are doing … is to defy injustice at the cost of your career, your reputation, your financial solvency, and, at times, your life,” Hedges told the crowd.
Protesters move towards Lawnparties activities — April 28, 1:38 p.m.
Students take photos outside Robertson Hall ahead of Lawnparties as protesters pass the fountain.
Calvin Grover / The Daily Princetonian
The majority of protesters at the sit-in marched towards the fountain outside Robertson Hall where many students were taking photos ahead of Lawnparties. A few of the protestors stood inside the fountain and read out statistics about the war in Gaza as well as their list of demands to the University. They called on onlookers to boycott Lawnparties and join them.
After about 20 minutes, the protesters marched towards Prospect Street, circling around the intersection of Prospect and Washington. They continued down Prospect before turning around outside Tower Club and headed back towards the McCosh courtyard through the fountain outside Robertson Hall. The whole march lasted about thirty minutes.
Chalk messages on sidewalk removed — April 28, 12:19 p.m.
Facilities removed chalk imagery and messages on sidewalks near McCosh courtyard.
Ryan Konarska / The Daily Princetonian
Princeton University Facilities vehicles arrived around noon to remove messages written in chalk on the brick sidewalks surrounding McCosh courtyard. The chalk drawings included Palestinian flags and messages like “Hands off Gaza.” The chalk was removed by powerwashing.
Email calling for Lawnparties boycott sent to listservs — April 28, 12:00 p.m.
An email sent to residential college listservs with a display name “Encampment for Gaza” encouraged students to personally boycott Lawnparties. The event will continue as scheduled, despite calls for its cancellation yesterday by Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest.
“Most of us have been looking forward to lawnparties all year, and it may seem as a ‘useless’ gesture to boycott it,” the email read. “Your solidarity means everything. Choosing to stand in solidarity with Palestine against the status quo of Princeton life is a powerful statement to the school administration, and to the media.”
Earlier, the Black Student Union (BSU) sent an open letter to residential college listservs condemning the University’s response to “student activism around the ongoing conflict in Palestine.” The email and enclosed letter specifically mentioned Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun’s email stating that protestors who violate ODUS rules surrounding encampment and sleeping in public spaces would be arrested.
“VP Calhoun's statements to preemptively threaten students with force for peaceful protest are an egregious violation of students' safety, and do not reflect the values of promoting campus life,” the email read.
The email noted that “As an organization who sits under ODUS and works closely with the Office of the VP for Campus Life, her statements are not only a reflection of the administration's position, but they also reflect poorly on us and other student groups whose mission is to create unity among all students on campus.”
Protesters begin chants as Lawnparties sound checks begin — April 28, 11:11 a.m.
Lawnparties sound checks could be heard as protesters began chants for the first time in several hours. Up until now, the encampment has been largely quiet, with protesters speaking softly in a circle. At one point earlier in the morning, a PSAFE officer warned a protester who appeared to be sleeping to wake up.
One of the protesters began giving instructions on how to make noise as a disruption to lawnparties, saying “I want you to send it directly to them with our love.” Following this, protesters started making noise, banging on buckets, metal water bottles, and sticks.
A protester chanting “we don’t consent to being filmed” confronted an observer filming the sit-in. Marshals of the sit-in wearing green vests held a blanket up to block the camera.
As Lawnparties attendees began passing by the McCosh courtyard, protesters began chanting “Join us,” and “Free, free, free Palestine.”
“Orderly, peaceful, and normal” — April 28, 7:00 a.m.
Protesters began the morning with songs and chants, banging paint buckets that served as makeshift drums as PSAFE officers looked on. There were about 25 protesters at 6:40 a.m. Protesters worked to clean up the encampment, moving blankets that had become dirty from last night's rain into a pile and clearing the previous day’s perishable food.
As the sit-in continues into its fourth day, Salam Fayyad, the former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and a professor in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), offered his perspective on the demonstration for the first time publicly.
“In one word, orderly. In two, orderly and peaceful. In three, orderly, peaceful, and normal,” Fayyad wrote in an email to the Daily Princetonian.
This story is breaking and will be updated as further information becomes available.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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