“Disclose, Divest, Ceasefire” was the message of a sit-in organized by Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights at Oregon State University at OSU on Wednesday.
The sit-in started at 10 a.m. on the southwest front lawn of the Learning Innovation Center. With close to two hundred students in attendance, students came and went throughout the day.
Students lounged on the lawn on blankets and tarp coverings working on laptops and reading.
Chants would pick up when classes would switch out at the hour marks, led by the organizers. SUPER had check-in tents set up for student participants.
Students could scan QR codes and learn about other causes and about how to get involved with their cause.
“Disclose. Divest. We will not stop. We will not rest!” was one of the many SUPER chants that can be heard from the lawn throughout the sit-in.
Adrian Ostrow, a first-year studying electrical and computer engineering, was participating in the sit-in. He said he feels it’s important that President Murthy listens to students and their demands.
“I want OSU to take a firm stance against the genocide that Israel is committing against Palestinians. And I want OSU to cut ties with companies that are funding the Israeli military,” Ostrow said.
Ostrow, a Jewish student active in his community, said he believes having an open conversation and creating a dialogue is key to reaching a solution.
“I’m involved in the Jewish community on campus. I want to create a conversation around this issue and create change,” Ostrow said.
As the day passed, Corvallis community members came through to show their solidarity with the students, joining in the chanting and sharing in the community.
They wanted the students to feel supported in what they were doing and to know that they had allies in their cause off campus, too.
Cameron Sims, a Corvallis resident who participates in Palestinian relief rallies came to the sit-in on his day off as a sign of solidarity.
He held the Palestinian flag during one of the chants and said he believed that attending events like the SUPER organized sit-in is a good way for people who aren’t knowledgeable on the violence in Gaza to start learning about what’s happening.
“I’m just hoping more awareness is brought to people. Like the students walking around, and maybe someone who has in some way never heard of what’s going on,” Sims said. “It makes someone curious, and they look it up. That brings another person to our side.”
Sims said one thing he thinks about is what he would have done if he was confronted with the same issues during World War II.
He asked the same of President Murthy and OSU’s administration.
“What (would) they … have done during the Holocaust?” Sims said.
Ostrow said he wants transparency around what is being done with students’ tuition dollars.
“Withhold (students) money from anywhere that directly or indirectly funds the Israeli military. It puts pressure on the Israeli government to stop committing genocide to stop committing horrible actions,” Ostrow said.
“Disclose” is another demand SUPER has made of President Murthy and OSU. They want disclosure of what will be done with student’s money moving forward.
“As students, faculty and staff who run this university we demand implementing a system of financial transparency and student oversight of university investments,” SUPER wrote on their Instagram post, where the rest of their full list of demands from OSU is posted.
Remy Laciste, a student participating in the sit-in, said he wants OSU to listen to students. He first saw a rally at the Memorial Union Quad earlier this term and has slowly gotten more involved.
“It would be cool if OSU would support what everyone’s doing here and like, I know that the school funds companies that don’t have the best opinions. It would be nice if OSU did what we’re chanting about,” Laciste said.
