Over 30 people gathered for a pro-Palestine rally organized by Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest (PIAD), the Princeton Palestine Liberation Coalition, and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) in front of the Friend Center on Monday, Jan. 27. Students from Sunrise Princeton and the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) were also present.
Protesters expressed a desire to build off the momentum of a November undergraduate referendum that called for the University to divest its endowment from companies involved in weapons manufacturing. This referendum passed with 68 percent of votes in favor. However, attendees expressed concern about potential crackdowns on pro-Palestine protests under the Trump administration and the limited progress made since the passage of the referendum.
Attendees spoke about continuing to advocate for University divestment from Israeli companies this semester.
“A temporary ceasefire does not change the nature of the work that we’re going to be doing,” a masked organizer said to the crowd. “Although we celebrate that our Palestinian siblings are experiencing substantive relief, I hope, with the news of a fragile ceasefire, the fight for Palestinian liberation is not yet won,” they continued.
This semester, however, pro-Palestine activists confront a changing national policy landscape. During his presidential campaign, President Donald Trump promised to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests on campuses and deport college demonstrators as part of what he called a “radical revolution.” A new directive passed during his first week in office could lead to the deportation of foreign nationals accused of having ties to terrorism.
“There was some fear, especially with the new [presidential] administration — I feel like it’s really going to crack down,” Davis Mendez GS told the ‘Prince,’ adding that he was afraid of the lengths administrators at Princeton might go “in order to keep their jobs.”
“I’m a little afraid about what’s going to happen to students,” said Mendez.
At other Ivy League institutions, the start of the spring semester has heralded a series of rallies and protests — and administrative responses. At Columbia University, Interim President Katrina Armstrong stated a “potential need” to bring the New York Police Department on campus following the disruption of a class on Israeli history by protesters at the start of the semester.
Meanwhile at Princeton, Sofia Menemenlis GS and other organizers said that the passage of Referendum No. 5 is an important milestone for pro-Palestine activists.
“[The referendum] speaks to the shift in the campus climate and political climate,” said Jessica Ng, a postdoctoral researcher at the High Meadows Environmental Institute.
The latest vote concluded a series of contested attempts to garner a majority of undergraduate votes for referenda calling for University divestment to various degrees, including the narrowly successful 2022 Caterpillar Referendum and two failed referenda in 2010 and 2015.
The Undergraduate Student Government has not yet issued a formal position paper, a paper stating the position taken in the referendum and often addressed to senior University administrators.
Following the rally in front of the Friend Center, attendees marched to the front of Nassau Hall, where several Public Safety officers watched from a distance. Chants included “Eisgruber, you can’t hide; you’re supporting genocide” and “We will not stop, we will not rest.”
“Our efforts will continue; our goals remain the same,” Menemenlis told the ‘Prince.’ “It’s up to the administration to act as they’ve promised to.”
Sena Chang is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince’ from Tokyo, Japan. She typically covers campus and community activism, the state of higher education, and alumni news.
Vivien Wong is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Editor’s note: The article has also been updated to contextualize the history of the divestment movement on campus.
Correction: A previous version of this article said that 65 percent of votes is necessary for a referendum to pass. A referendum only requires half of the votes to pass. Additionally, a previous version of this article incorrectly attributed Ng’s statement to the masked organizer. The ‘Prince’ regrets these errors.
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