Negotiations set to resume Tuesday between protesters and officials at Brown University

April 29, 2024 11:27 pm

Alyssa Azzara,

Providence, R.I. (WLNE) — As day six of the Pro-Palestinian encampment at Brown University wraps up, negotiations between student protestors and university officials are set to continue.

The negotiations started Monday afternoon and will resume Tuesday.

“For the divestment movement on campus, I think it’s definitely a win,” said Arman Deendar, a protestor and spokesperson for the Brown Divest Coalition.

Negotiations come after a letter was sent to protestors from University President Christina Paxson, offering five students the chance to speak with Brown corporation members.

The discussion would allow students to voice their arguments for divestment from groups they say are aiding Israel’s war effort in Gaza, but that is only if they leave the encampment peacefully over the next few days.

Paxson said the discussion would take place at the upcoming corporation meeting in May.

“We’ve still not met our demand for an actionable vote on divestment,” Deendar explained. “So we’re still going to be pushing for that.”

Deendar said a proposal is being drafted to present to university officials on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Jewish Israeli American student Avital Strauss said negotiating with protestors encourages them to continue to violate university policy.

“That sets a precedent that now again she’s continuing by negotiating with protestors that there really aren’t consequences for students violating policy,” Strauss said. “And then that is actually endangering Jewish and Israeli students.”

Strauss said Jewish students feel frightened and unwelcome with the current environment on campus.

“We don’t feel recognized for our identity, for who we are, for what we believe in,” Strauss explained. “And we feel like whenever we enter a space that is not a Jewish specific space, that we have to hide parts of ourselves.”

Protestors are still calling for the charges to be dropped against the 41 students arrested back in December for protesting inside of University Hall.