The live updates on day seven of the sit-in have concluded. Follow live updates of day eight here. See previous coverage of days one, two, three, four, five, and six.
This story is breaking and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Princeton’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” sit-in enters its seventh day. Yesterday, an off-campus press conference at Palmer Square was held at 2:15 p.m. by protesters who were among those arrested during the occupation of Clio Hall on Monday. A few hours later, an announcement sent from Vice President for Student Life W. Rochelle Calhoun said that the disciplinary process that the arrested students face “may lead to suspension, the withholding of degrees, or expulsion.” Calhoun added that additional students involved in the occupation may be identified, with more criminal charges and University discipline potentially forthcoming.
Per Calhoun’s statement, these students are being investigated by the Department of Public Safety. Calhoun’s statement also said that the disciplinary process for those arrested is unlikely to be resolved by Commencement.
Other campuses also have encampment updates. The main campus at Columbia University was locked down on Tuesday morning following the occupation of Hamilton Hall, an administrative building that also houses a few academic departments. On Tuesday night, hundreds of officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) cleared the hall, arresting dozens of people. After clearing the hall, officers disassembled Columbia’s encampment, taking down tents and removing supplies.
The encampment at Yale University also came down on Tuesday; students cleared the area after police issued a warning, and no arrests were made. Student protesters at Brown University, however, won a significant victory on Tuesday by agreeing to clear their encampment in exchange for a vote on divestment from companies with ties to Israel in October by the Brown Corporation, the university’s highest governing body.
Violence broke out at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) between protesters and counter-protesters at the edge of their encampment barricade. Fireworks, pepper spray, and large metal and wooden objects were involved. It is unclear if students have been arrested. UCLA administration will be having meetings over the next few days to decide how to proceed with the situation.
Numbers dwindle as sit-in approaches 1-week mark — May 2, 5:40 a.m.
While Cannon Green remains strewn with tarps, blankets, and chairs, very little of the space was actually inhabited in the wee hours of the morning. Roughly a dozen people are present and moving around, some cleaning up the tables of food. Unlike previous mornings, ‘Prince’ reporters did not observe students participating in morning prayer on the green.
PSAFE presence briefly increases in early morning — May 2, 3:10 a.m.
There has been increased police activity throughout the night.
At nearly 2:03 a.m., a PSAFE car arrives and parks outside of Clio Hall. At 2:05 a.m., a PSAFE officer steps out of the vehicle, talks to a security guard in a yellow vest for a few moments, then leans over the iron fence that lines Cannon Green, seemingly engaging with a nearby protester for just a moment.
Later, at 2:58 a.m., a similar car pulled into in front of Cannon Green. An officer walked along the length of Cannon Green, and another officer appeared to have stepped onto Cannon Green before exiting the space.
Prior to tonight, officers have not directly entered Cannon Green since Monday evening.
All calm at Cannon Green — May 2, 1:50 a.m.
Light chatter and frequent laughter echo across Cannon Green, where 40 protestors remain camped for the night. Most of them sit in circles with friends, the glow of laptop screens illuminating their faces as they work on assignments.
Public Safety remains posted on three out of four corners of Cannon Green. Every few minutes, students shuffle past Clio Hall on their way back from studying at Firestone Library.
Princeton Pictures releases statement — May 1, 10:36 p.m.
As protesters continued watching a film at the encampment, student film organization Princeton Pictures published a statement on Instagram around 10:00 p.m. in solidarity with Gaza and student protesters. It is one of few public statements from non-affinity organizations on campus thus far.
“As filmmakers, we recognize that the power of our words and images reflect and respond to the world around us,” they wrote. “We understand that our creative work is not isolated but rather deeply intertwined with the social, political, and humanitarian issues of our time.”
The Princeton Pictures board expressed support for its members’ right to protest and to freely express their diverse views. The statement also directed followers to learn about UNICEF’s humanitarian aid efforts and to the organization Film Workers for Palestine.
Yesterday, diSiac Dance Company posted a slightly shorter statement on Instagram as well, similarly encouraging followers to learn about UNICEF’s work.
After dinner, protesters project “A Feeling Greater than Love” — 9:43 p.m.
Protesters ate from a buffet dinner around 8 p.m. Not long after, the hanging lights went off and the group settled down. Around 9 p.m., a projector went up, which was then used to show “A Feeling Greater than Love” (2017) directed by Mary Jirmanus Saba. The film centers on a factory strike in Beirut in 1972 that led to dreams of a popular revolution which ended up being dashed by a civil war.
The organizers briefly paused the movie for Isha at 9:20 p.m., one of the five mandatory prayers in Islam.
After prayer, the organizers resumed the film.
May Day protesters arrive at “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” – 7:01 p.m.
Around 6:15, the May Day protest marched from their demonstration at the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) fountain to the encampment at Cannon Green. The May Day demonstration was led by Resistencia en Acción NJ, a grassroots migrant justice organization. Protesters held signs including “No to wage theft,” “Immigrant rights are human rights,” and “People over profits.”
Sireen Sawalha, a local high school teacher from Jenin, Palestine, addressed the crowd from the center of Cannon Green. She spoke about her brother’s detention by the IDF and the bombing of her parents’ home in Jenin.
“I want you all to remember on the human rights violations all around the world,” she said. “We can make a difference.”
After Sawalha, Kristin Nagy ’27 spoke about the need for Princeton students to pursue activism on campus and drew a connection between the U.S. and Palestine.
“We all face the same oppressor. We all face the same violence systems that seek to dehumanize marginalized communities and devalue human life,” she said.
She also spoke on her hope for those at the May Day protest and those at the sit-in to come together.
“My hope is that [through] my gathering here for May Day, joining the forces for freedom and justice on campus and off, we can set a new precedent because of the Popular University for Gaza,” she said. “There is no Orange Bubble, there is only solidarity and community.”
“There is no apathy. Instead, we pour passion, love, peace and life into our mobilizations,” she added. “We students must continue to stand in solidarity and use our resources to support the community around us.”
Patricia Campos-Medina, a candidate for U.S. Senate and local labor leader addressed the crowd, expressing support for Princeton students participating in the encampment.
“Today, the workers of the world are here talking and demanding in solidarity with the students across United States campuses,” she said. “It is time to hold Israel accountable for the abuse of international human rights.”
As of 7:00 p.m., both doors to Whig Hall are locked — a change from earlier today. Since Morrison Hall and Clio Hall have also been locked, East Pyne is now the only building directly adjacent to the encampment which is open for student prox access.
Collin Riggins, photographer in Clio Hall, no longer banned from campus — May 1, 5:46 p.m.
At 5:33 p.m., Collin Riggins ’24, a photographer who previously said he faced disciplinary action for his participation in the occupation of Clio Hall, says he is no longer banned from campus or facing disciplinary action from the University, in a speech on Cannon Green.
Riggins did not appear to be arrested on Monday immediately following the sit-in at Clio; a statement from Professor Ruha Benjamin seems to indicate that Riggins exited Clio with her shortly after the sit-in began.
“As of last night, I’ve had my prox reinstated, I can access campus again,” he said into a megaphone.
Riggins was previously identified as a member of the student press by organizers at a press conference yesterday, and held an identifying badge during the occupation associating him with “AAS Media.” AAS stands for African American Studies — five students and Ruha Benjamin, a professor, who attended the sit-in at Clio Hall on Monday are members of the department.
“Public Safety cut off my prox, denying me access to campus buildings and my own room because of my involvement. I was left with a phone, the clothes on my person, and nothing else,” he said.
Riggins added, “This is nothing compared to the other students involved, who today received confirmation that they are banned from campus for the foreseeable [sic] and will be awaiting further disciplinary measures from the university.”
“What I am suggesting is that Princeton knows that they have their back against the wall, as they use levels of force and repression that we've never seen on this campus,” he directed at President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 and Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun.
“But what I want to tell you, President Eisgruber, is that you can slap a BandAid on a situation and distort the situation to justify your means,” he added. “You cannot quell a movement that spills well outside the walls of Clio Hall and into the hearts of hundreds of students willing to face your arbitrary rights, rules, and regulations and assume your undue consequences.”
In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ Riggins wrote, “Free Palestine! That is the guiding focus of all of this and must remain our priority.”
Affinity groups release statements — May 1, 3:15 p.m.
Several other campus groups have also released statements criticizing University arrests of students, following the Generational African American Student Association (GAASA) and Muslim Student Association (MSA) statements this morning. The student groups releasing statements are a part of the Multicultural Coalition — a collection of affinity groups on campus, confirmed by several members of the coalition. Statements are likely to trickle in throughout the day from more member organizations.
At 1:27 p.m., Muslim Advocates for Social Justice (MASJID) released a statement in support of protestors, criticizing what they saw as a “criminalization of peaceful protests” that particularly targeted students of color. They also denounced the University’s arrest of two graduate students and the arrests of protestors in Clio Hall on Monday, as well as the suspending of access to Morrison Hall.
At 2:18 p.m., the Arab Society of Princeton released a similar statement, also calling for Princeton to “reinstate student housing for those affected.” One minute later, a statement in support of protestors was sent by Princeton African Student Association (PASA)
At 2:43 and 2:46 respectively, Princeton Latin American Student Association (PLASA) and Princeton Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association (PEESA) also released statements criticizing the University’s response to protestors.
At 1:12 p.m., Rabbi Gil Steinlauf ’91 sent a message to the Center for Jewish Life (CJL) listserv regarding the pro-Palestine sit-in, calling the events of the past few days “surreal.”
“While I remember protests during my days here, some of which were quite tense, I haven’t seen anything like this on Princeton’s campus before,” he continued. He went on to describe “echoes in the protests, as well, of antisemitic movements throughout history,” and emphasized the CJL’s support for Jewish students.
Statement from Ruha Benjamin and other faculty on Clio Hall Sit-in — May 1, 12:45 p.m.
Dean Dolan leaves CPUC meeting and heads to Clio Hall sit-in.
Calvin Grover/ Daily Princetonian
Ruha Benjamin and other faculty who witnessed the events at Clio Hall Monday wrote a letter addressed to University community members and Mercer County accusing VP of Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun of mischaracterizing the actions of student protesters during the sit-in in her email to the University following the events.
Benjamin, the primary faculty observer of the sit-in, entered the building with protesters and claimed the students entered the office in a calm manner and were polite to staff members.
“Without bearing witness, VP Calhoun wrote about the peaceful sit-in in a misleading and even inflammatory way” Benjamin wrote. “We wish that a single administrator had come inside Clio Hall to see [peaceful protest].”
Benjamin particularly criticized Calhoun’s characterization of the sit-in as “abusive.”
“Three professors asking about student well-being does not constitute ‘abusive’ behavior to PSAFE” the letter read.
The letter accuses Calhoun of “fear mongering” to intimidate “students making full and legitimate use of their freedom of speech and assembly to stand up in solidarity with Gaza and Palestine, and to demand divestment.”
The letter concludes by criticizing the lack of communication from administrators to protesters.
Access to Morrison remains limited and chalk messages appear — May 1, 12:16 p.m.
The crowd remains thinned out at the encampment, with around 50 protesters. Earlier, students concentrating in the African American Studies, housed in Morrison Hall, appeared unable to enter with their student IDs. However, staff and faculty are able to let their students in. Around campus, Pro-Palestinian messages and calls for divestment written in chalk have been spotted.
Statements released by GAASA and MSA - May 1, 9:40 a.m.
Generational African American Student Association (GAASA) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) board members have released statements on the University response to protesters.
The MSA statement stated that leaders of MSA “condemn” the recent arrests of students, some of whom are MSA members, as well as, “Condemn that our student member was forced to perform the Asr prayer in handcuffs next to the Access, Diversity, and Inclusion Office with Princeton Safety officers watching.”
The MSA statement also stated, “We condemn the threatened arrest of our elected student leaders for freely speaking at the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) meeting on 4/29/2024. We condemn President Eisgruber inhibiting free speech on campus and speaking over our student leaders.”
At Monday’s CPUC meeting, Eisgruber issued a warning to protesters who read a statement condemning the University’s response to the encampment after a presentation by USG President Avi Attar ‘25. The protesters were later escorted out of the meeting by PSAFE.
The statement ended with the conclusion that the encampment, “Poses no legal, disciplinary, or academic risk in its current form.”
Noting Morrison is home to cultural studies such as African American Studies, Latino Studies, and Indigenous Studies, GAASA letter stated that the University’s closure of Morrison Hall while keeping nearby Whig Hall and East Pyne open, “silence marginalized communities and further the notion that Princeton has little regard for the voices of its minority students.”
The GAASA letter also states that, despite Eisgruber’s published statement that disciplinary responses to the protest were centered around students being able to feel safe, “The deployment of campus security heightens tensions and fosters an unsafe environment for all students.” The letter ultimately states the recent arrests of students and closure of Morrison beyond the protest could also lead to students feeling unsafe.
Two individuals were observed successfully entering Morrison, although access remains blocked for those with student IDs.
Clio Hall entrances cannot be unlocked with student IDs either.
A new day begins, newer signs visible - May 1, 7:27 a.m.
As the sun rose on yet another cool, misty day of the encampment, the 10-15 protesters present became visible, as well as a couple of newer signs. One such sign read, “Photo Guideline: for safety of our community, do not zoom in on students’ faces.” The protest has otherwise been quiet.
Morrison Hall remains closed. Standardized operating hours for academic buildings are from 7:00 a.m. to midnight, and Morrison was open and accessible without student prox needed at this time yesterday.
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