Pro-Palestine camp reiterates demands of SU administration

As Syracuse University Commencement activities formally ramped up Friday, pro-Palestine supporters said school administrators have not taken any steps to address their demands after nearly 12 days of camping on the Shaw Quad.

Flanked by more than 50 supporters, five students and faculty members restated the Gaza Solidarity Encampment’s demands, outlined concerns about Israel’s military response following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and detailed harassment protestors have faced  since the camp formed last week. 

Camp media liaison Cai Cafiero said school officials have tried to intimidate and pacify the demonstrators rather than make an effort to discuss the protest’s demands. 

“We’ve yet to have a negotiations meeting, only a meeting to set the terms of said negotiations,” Cafiero said.

On Wednesday, demonstrators refused SU’s notice to close the quad camp and relocate to another designated area on campus. A screened fence was erected Thursday morning on one side separating the camp from the quad where party tents are for graduation celebrations. 

SU officials have not made any public statements since Sunday following a series of incidents and has not indicated if they will consider the demonstrators’ request.

Friday’s 45-minute press conference continued with an unnamed student reading a dozen incidents where people entered the camp or made disparaging remarks directed at them as well as efforts by SU to close buildings around the quad where students were accessing restrooms.

English associate professor Carol W.N. Fadda shared statements of support the encampment has received from campus and local organizations. Another unnamed student then read the camp’s official demands and included specific references to how SU could comply.

At the start of the press conference, Cafiero announced that a Syracuse resident visiting the campsite on Friday afternoon was arrested by Public Safety officers and ejected from campus.  

Eural Warren was convicted in 1996  of first-degree manslaughter and fourth-degree criminal possession of weapon and served jail time until 2014,  according toThe Daily Orange.

Cafiero described Warren as a community activist and “friend” of the camp and challenged the claim he was trespassing on Friday when the SU campus has many visitors for graduation activities.

“To say that person in particular is trespassing is an example of the targeted harassment that we’ve been contending with since the very first day of our encampment,” Cafiero said.