NEW PALTZ – Protesters calling for a free Palestine began assembling on the SUNY New Paltz campus earlier this week, with the number of participants increasing Thursday evening. College officials had advised the group that any tents set up on the campus needed to be removed by Thursday evening. The protesters used the demand as a rallying cry to become more vocal and defiant. State police responded by arresting protesters just after 11 p.m.
Late Thursday afternoon, SUNY New Paltz President Darrell Wheeler sent an email to the campus community highlighting the ongoing negotiations between school officials and protesters. Wheeler was quick to point out that the tents that had been erected on campus were a violation of the student handbook code of conduct and demanded they be removed. He also said the tents interfere with the school’s ability to maintain the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
The president gave an overview of the negotiations between the administration and protesters following a Thursday afternoon meeting between the two sides.
The school’s top priorities, according to Wheeler are:
- The removal of the tents.
- De-escalation through open dialogue.
- Resolution with no injuries, no property loss, and no arrests.
- “We aim to protect the academic calendar and ensure that end-of-year celebrations like Spring Fest and Commencement can proceed safely for all participants.
The demonstrators, according to Wheeler, have demanded the following:
- The disclosure of all donations, investments, contracts, and financial dealings with private companies.
- The termination of contracts and relationships with companies determined by the protesters.
- Amnesty from all sanctions placed on students who have participated in the demonstration.
Regarding the amnesty demand, President Wheeler says that he delegated members of the school’s team to offer amnesty to the group on Thursday in exchange for the dissolution of the encampment by 7 p.m. on May 2. “The presence of tents on campus grounds defies that prerequisite of mutual respect and violates policies that I must uphold. The tents must be taken down before we can move forward.”
Witnesses at the demonstration said the tents were still in place after 8 p.m. They also said the vocal group of demonstrators were telling attendees how to avoid being detained by police, to wear masks, and other advice that created an adversarial atmosphere.
Reports of State Police staging in a parking lot on Route 32 early in the evening were confirmed when a witness said police arrived on campus, along with drones and helicopters overhead, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday. At 11:10 p.m., police began slowly encircling the Pro-Palestine group and reportedly started arresting the protesters.
