Demonstrators call for divestment from companies linked to Palestinian occupation
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted Pomona College’s convocation ceremony on Tuesday by blocking the entrance and preventing people from attending the event.
Some students and employees could not get inside as a result, prompting administrators to resort to livestreaming the event, the Claremont Courier reported.
Students from Claremont College, who are part of a group called Pomona Divest From Apartheid, organized the protest, the Courier reported.
“WE SHUT DOWN CONVOCATION. Administration + trustees were forced to livestream their speeches in an empty theatre,” the group stated in an Instagram post Tuesday.
“We send a clear message to the Pomona Board of Trustees and Administration: We will not accept business as usual when Pomona refuses to disclose and divest investments complicit in the occupation and genocide of Palestinians,” it stated.
Protesters wearing masks and head scarves marched in front of the building while a news helicopter hovered above. None of the demonstrators entered the building, according to the Courier.
Campus safety officials asked the protestors to clear the entrances, take off their masks, and show their student IDs. They all reportedly ignored the requests.
“Pomona College held its convocation ceremony today, an event held each fall marking the opening of the academic year. Unfortunately, protesters blocked entrances and impeded public access to the venue,” Pomona College Interim Chief Communications Officer Patricia Vest told the Courier.
“For the safety of all attendees, the ceremony continued with the stage party only inside the venue, and a live-stream was made available to all College students, faculty and staff,” she stated.
Just days before the protest, Pomona College updated its protest policies in response to the disruptive demonstrations that occurred during the spring.
“New dedicated campus safety staff have been added, and policies regarding no encampments or similarly disruptive activities will be strictly enforced,” stated the announcement.
In May, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police outside Pomona College’s graduation ceremony, demanding the school divest from companies associated with the Israeli military, as previously reported by The College Fix.
Students blocked entrances to the event and refused to comply with orders from campus safety officers to clear the area, remove their masks, and show identification. Tensions escalated, leading to police intervention and physical altercations.
MORE: Pomona College student government approves sweeping anti-Israel BDS resolution
IMAGE: pomonadivestapartheid/Instagram
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