Cal Poly Humboldt said Tuesday that 35 people have been arrested who were camped out in campus buildings to protest the university’s ties to Israel.
The arrests come after the university decided to close down for the remainder of the semester due to the protests.
The backstory: Dozens of protesters stormed the campus on April 22 and occupied two buildings in protest of the Israel-Hamas war, calling for the university to divest from any business ties to Israel.
- The university has said that less than one percent of its endowment portfolio is invested in Israeli companies or defense firms.
The big picture: Early Tuesday morning law enforcement arrested 35 protestors who had barricaded themselves on campus.
- Cal Poly Humboldt said the protesters, which included students and faculty members, were arrested without incident around 2:30 am.
- They face charges of unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assault of police officers and others.
What they’re saying: “What was occurring was not free expression or a protest,” the university said in a statement. “It was criminal activity, and there were serious concerns it would spread even further on campus.”
