Members of the Smith College chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine are nearing the one-week mark of their occupation of an administrative building, saying they will not leave until the school divests from military contractors and weapons manufacturers.
Smith College’s SJP members announced on social media that the group had not reached an agreement with the school administration on their divestment demands. The occupants of College Hall, the primary administrative building on campus, say they will remain there until the school agrees to divest from companies they claim are aiding Israeli forces in Gaza.
“We are still strong and full of energy,” the SJP chapter said on the fifth day of occupation, telling students not to show up to class. “We held a vigil today and took down the American flag and raised the Palestinian flag over College Hall! We will not leave until Smith commits to divestment.”
Members of the SJP chapter claim the small women’s private liberal arts school has part of its $2.4 billion endowment invested in manufacturers such as General Dynamics, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin, as well as L3Harris, which has a location near the school’s Northampton, Massachusetts, campus.
Members of the school’s Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility rejected a divestment proposal on March 26, saying the investments at issue are “negligible and entirely indirect,” according to New England Public Media. But protesters, who began their occupation on March 27, say their objection is more about the principle than the amount of money.
“We believe that any money sent to … war is sent to genocide and is sent to white supremacy. And we, as an institution, do not stand for this,” Smith senior Roz Beile said. “As a university with a lot of support from students and community, we have a responsibility to set a precedent for other private liberal arts colleges, other state institutions.”
The SJP chapter posted to social media that it does not “care about the insignificance of an investment, because any investment is contributing to the destruction of Palestine.”
The occupation of the administrative building has blocked students from being able to access the financial aid office, disability services, and the Title IX office, school media relations director Carolyn McDaniel said, explaining that at least one family drove a long way to discuss the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, but was not able to go inside College Hall to do so.
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Although no disciplinary action has been taken against the occupying students, McDaniel said those inside the building “are allegedly in violation of several elements of the Student Code of Conduct including unauthorized entry or use of a building, abuse of property, and disruption of college activities,” according to Inside Higher Ed. The school said it has heightened security in the area.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Smith College for comment.