Pro-Palestinian rally at Colorado College draws students, faculty and alumni
A pro-Palestinian demonstration attracted around 250 students, faculty and alumni at Colorado College’s Tava Quad after a class walkout Wednesday morning.
The student-led event featured multiple speakers expressing concerns against perceived economic support of the college to Israel amid the war with Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups .
Since its start nearly seven months back, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 people, roughly 1.5% of the total pre-war population in Gaza, according to Associated Press reporting. Hamas launched an assault on Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people while taking more than 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
About 30 participating CC faculty members canceled their Wednesday morning classes to allow the walkout. Students and faculty expressed concern about a lack of support from administration for previous demonstrations of Palestinian solidarity.
“I’m here for Palestinian liberation, and I don’t agree with the efforts of CC (Colorado College) to disband our actions, and I’m hoping that they can divest from Israel, as well,” said one student demonstrator, who declined to share their name with The Gazette.
Student protesters were unwilling to provide their names to Gazette reporters, they said, over fears of retaliation from the college.
Since the war began, students organized a “teach-in” in support of Palestinians, protested outside a work session featuring the Anti-Defamation League and staged a sit-in at the Charles L. Tutt Library.
Colorado College’s student newspaper, The Catalyst, previously reported that students who participated in the sit-in were met with pushback from administration due to violations of the college’s “Freedom of Expression” policy. Multiple students received conduct cases that are ongoing. Some faculty members in turn said they felt their right to peaceful assembly was being violated.
The college’s policy states that students, staff and faculty can participate in protests and demonstrations as long as they don’t disrupt any college business or activities.
The policy also specifies that faculty may participate in protests, as long as they “ensure that they in no way represent themselves as a spokesperson for the College.”
CC Dean of College Pedro de Araujo confirmed to The Gazette that multiple student conduct cases are underway connected to past on-campus demonstrations.
He added that the administration became aware last week of plans for Wednesday’s walkout and made preparations to deescalate any situation. Students were given permission for the demonstration on the quad as long as policies were followed.
After the rally, Araujo said that no policies appeared to have been violated and that administration will prepare accordingly for any future demonstrations.
“Really, it went beautifully, I think,” he said. “Especially different than some of the other colleges recently.”
In the preceding weeks, college campuses nationwide cracked down on student protesters, with dozens arrested at Columbia University, and thousands of others across the U.S., according to national reports.
On Denver’s Auraria campus, home to the University of Colorado Denver, Community College of Denver and Metropolitan State University of Denver, pro-Palestinian protests have persisted since last week resulting in student arrests and meetings between protest organizers and campus leaders.
Wednesday’s walkout at Colorado College is the only recent pro-Palestinian demonstration at a Colorado Springs-based college to date. Jennifer Sobanet, chancellor of the Colorado Springs campus of the University of Colorado, told The Gazette on Wednesday that there have been no planned demonstrations thus far.
“Nothing has happened on campus, and we are not aware of any activities,” she said.
In some instances, college administration has threatened expulsion of students who are refusing to abandon organized encampments.
“We are here today in solidarity and in commitment to continue to fight for a free Palestine. We are here to refuse our college’s investments and colonial and White supremacist violence,” a student organizer said to the crowd at CC.
“We’re walking out of our classes, out of our jobs, out of refusing to continue operating in our daily lives as if nothing is happening, as if the status quo doesn’t allow and in fact perpetuate extreme violence against Palestinians, the significance of this refusal must be acknowledged.”
