Disciplinary notices delivered on fourth day of Gaza encampment at Brown University

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — As the sun set over the East Side on Saturday, Brown University students remained steadfast in their protest against Israel’s war on Gaza, demanding the university divest from companies supporting the Israel Defense Forces.

“We remain committed to staying here until our demands are met or until the university forcibly removes us,” said Arman Deendar, a member of the Brown Divest Coalition. “And we reject any intimidation tactics universities are trying to use.”

The encampment first formed Wednesday with around 100 students staking tents on the university’s main green, around half of them receiving disciplinary notices Saturday.

“We feel that, during a genocide, during this insufferable violence, unimaginable violence committed at the hands of the Israeli state, we can’t just sit by and attend classes,” Deendar said. “We have to be out here putting our education into action.”

Brown is no stranger to these types of protests, as 41 students were arrested for a similar demonstration in University Hall back in December.

It’s kind of clear to us that, rather than wanting to educate themselves on our perspective, they automatically dismiss it as the wrong one,” said Lila David, a Brown Students for Israel member.

Jewish students have expressed gratitude the protests have been peaceful, but say there is still a general malaise on campus.

“It’s not easy to walk through the main green and see these big posters saying Israeli is the oppressor and things of that nature,” David said.

University President Cristina Paxson said in a statement Wednesday that Brown does not plan to seek charges in this latest protest, but students will face conduct hearings.