Students at California State University, Los Angeles, have become the latest local university to establish an encampment to show support for Palestine.
Students for Justice in Palestine at Cal State LA, a grassroots organization, organized the event to pressure the CSU system into terminating its financial ties with institutions linked to Israel. On SJP at Cal State LA’s Instagram page, the group said they will continue to occupy the area until their campaign demands are met.
A member of the group, who chose not to disclose their name, said the main goal is to “pressure our university to divest from military companies, Israeli companies, and any other companies that make us complicit of the occupation in Palestine,” the member said.
Demonstrators sectioned off a grassy area next to the physical education building by the main walkway and created a makeshift camping area using classroom desks, chairs, and wooden pallets as a barricade. Inside the encampment, several Palestinian flags hung from tree branches and were draped over tents. Protestors also placed a flag in the arms of a statue of tennis icon Billie Jean King.
About 30-50 individuals were seen peacefully gathering in the evening, some in traditional keffiyeh scarves, playing music, and discussing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
A student inside the encampment, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he did not feel supported by the school administration and planned to stay at the site “Until we get divestment.”
While there was no visible campus police presence last night, protestors said they suspected plainclothes LAPD officers or LASD deputies may be monitoring them closely.
Outside the barricade, passersby stopped by to look at the encampment and read pro-Palestinian messages written in chalk on the concrete floor. Some individuals like Will Piña, a UPS driver, came to offer their support to the demonstrators. Piña is also a member of Teamsters Local 396 and said his desire to show up stemmed from worker-student solidarity.
“Students and workers, they have a lot in common here. When we go out on strike, we go out on economic boycotts and against our bosses. They’re doing the same to try to get the divestment out from genocide and apartheid in Israel,” Piña said. “Their demands are similar to what labor demands with our bosses.”
The wider Cal State University System is being criticized for investing in companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, a US-based defense technology company, and Elbit Systems, an Israel-based military technology company. The SJP is asking for further transparency from the school to disclose its full list of financial ties to Israel and its military.
“In light of its fiduciary responsibilities and existing policies governing the assessment of environmental, social, and governance risks, the California State University does not intend to alter existing investment policies related to Israel or the Israel-Hamas conflict,” the Cal State University’s Office of the Chancellor wrote in a statement Tuesday.
The statement also stated that “CSU investments provide a stable revenue stream that benefits our students and faculty and supports our critical campus facilities, scholarships, and other key elements of our educational mission.”
Cesar, a former Cal State LA student, also came to campus to show solidarity. Cesar, who preferred to only share his first name, attended the UCLA demonstrations earlier this week and left feeling that the movement would continue to grow.
“It’s just going to get bigger. People are being made more aware now, and hopefully, more universities will join the protest,” Cesar said.
Over the past month, encampments and protests at university campuses, some of which were met with violence, dotted the country. Students largely demanded their schools’ disclosure and divestment from companies, hedge funds, and other investments that support Israel’s military.
At UCLA this week, a lack of a security presence led to a confrontation between the pro-Gaza crowd and counter-protestors. Social media accounts widely shared images and videos of violence at the Westside school. As of Thursday, hundreds of arrests had been made on campus due to violence and building vandalism, and the encampment was taken down.
At the time of writing, no violence or agitation from counter-protestors had been reported from the students protesting at Cal State LA.
Israel is currently at war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Conflict arose on Oct. 7 after a Hamas attack on Israel killed more than 1,200 people. The Israeli government has since launched attacks on the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians reside, killing 34,000 people.
At Cal State LA, The SJP member believes students in East L.A. are in solidarity with Palestinians because they are all too familiar with systemic oppression. “Displacement is something that Black and Brown communities are very familiar with,” the member said, “and that’s why I think the people here in East L.A. have chosen to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
SJP at Cal State LA is continuing its action today and is hosting various activities such as a study session, the opening of a community library, and prayer time.
Signs protesting the war in Gaza are spread around the protest site. Photo by Andrew Lopez. 
Boxes of pizza and other foods were available for all protesters. Photo by Andrew Lopez. 
Bed rolls, tents, and sleeping bags sat ready for new protesters. Photo by Andrew Lopez. 
A statue of Billie Jean King carries a Palestinian flag at the encampment. Photo by Andrew Lopez.
