Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy and Corvallis city officials displayed different tones in responses Monday to the ongoing on-campus encampment.
On Monday, Murthy released a statement directed towards the OSU Palestine Solidarity Coalition about the ongoing encampment. In the statement, Murthy said the university has “made clear we are committed to ongoing engagement with student members of your coalition,” but reiterated the university’s position that the encampment must end Monday.
Murthy stated that if the encampment didn’t end Monday, “the university will begin a process of holding participants accountable under the Code of Student Conduct, other applicable university policies, and criminal statutes.”
“I reiterate the university’s expectation that the overnight encampment ends today. It is not necessary to expose members of your coalition to disciplinary actions or put the safety of yourselves and others at risk to make your voices heard,” Murthy said.
During the City Council Meeting on Monday, City Manager Mark Shepard said that decisions regarding the encampment lie with OSU.
“The City’s current and ongoing approach has and will be to refrain from taking an active role in disbursing the encampment and/or individuals in the encampment,” Shepard said. “However, Corvallis Police will respond on campus if the OSU Police Department identifies a threat to the safety of any individuals that they are not able to manage on their own.”
Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights at Oregon State University claimed on Instagram that OSU administrators told them that after Monday, the university would mobilize the Corvallis Police Department and Oregon State Police against the encampment.
When asked by the Barometer if Oregon State Police would be called in Monday night or Tuesday morning, OSU Vice President for University Relations and Marketing Rob Odom said this would not happen. In an email, Odom included a link to the OSU Encampment Demonstration website, adding, “there are no plans that are not on this website.”
Campus editor Wes Flow, city editor James Kelley and news contributor Kip Franich contributed to this story.
