Hundreds expected at Brown University connected to the violence in Gaza
by TEMI-TOPE ADELEYE, NBC 10 NEWS
(WJAR) — More than a hundred people gathered at Brown University on Friday to protest a recent divestment decision.
The Brown Divest Coalition organized this day-long protest, and it included a march later in the day.
These protests are a month into the fall semester.
The reason students and staff and even community members joined the protest is because of Brown University Corporation’s decision to not divest from companies with ties to the Israeli government.
The decision was made about a week ago and the group says since then they have been trying to figure out how they wanted to respond.
Groups occupied the campus green with tents this spring, calling for divestment.
A Brown Divestment Coalition spokesperson says they plan to follow the Brown Corporation members today and rally outside of their meeting spaces.
“Our responsibility as students is to those who are on the ground in Palestine. Students like us in Palestine don’t have single university to fall back on. It’s our privilege to use our voice, our power on this institution to continue advocating for divestment for a separation from our university’s complicity for as long as it humanly takes,” said Brown Divestment Coalition spokesperson Niyanta Nepal.
Protesters say today is the Brown Corporation’s last day on campus.
Last week University Chancellor Brian T. Moynihan and President Christina H. Paxson said in a statement that the university’s Advisory Committee on University Resources Management recommendation played a large role in the Corporation’s decision.
“In particular, Corporation members noted ACURM’s finding that Brown’s exposure to the 10 companies identified in the divestment proposal is de minimis, that Brown has no direct investments in any of the companies targeted for divestment and that any indirect exposure for Brown in these companies is so small that it could not be directly responsible for social harm, as defined in ACURM’s charge,” Moynihan and Christina wrote in a letter to the Brown campus. “These findings alone are sufficient reason to support ACURM’s recommendation.”