COA ENCAMPMENT ISSUES STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE AND SETS FORTH DEMANDS
BAR HARBOR—Since Sunday, April 28, approximately 75 students have set up an encampment on the lawn of the College of the Atlantic (COA) to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.
On Tuesday afternoon, an unidentified student protestor said that participating students are standing in solidarity with other pro-Palestine student demonstrators around the world. Many of those demonstrations aim to promote an end to the war in Gaza and divestiture from Israel or businesses that profit from the invasion.
There is currently no academic strike or defined end date for the encampment. The Bar Harbor Story released an article about the encampment yesterday, which included a statement from COA President Darron Collins. The college’s spokesperson has said that he expects to have a follow-up statement tomorrow. We’ll release that when we receive it. The students involved met last night and issued an official statement this afternoon, which is below.
THE RELEASE:
"The COA Palestine Solidarity Encampment has issued the following statement to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and to advocate for concrete actions in support of justice and human rights:
What do we stand for?
We are so grateful for all those on campus and beyond who have supported and engaged with us. Our Palestine Solidarity Encampment has emerged from the desire to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and all college or university students, staff, and faculty members who face violence by their institutions and law enforcement as they take action against the ongoing genocide. We believe that standing against discrimination, oppression, and violence means standing with Palestine. As students at an educational institution in the US we feel the responsibility to protest the bombing and demolition of schools and colleges in Gaza. Access to a demilitarized education is a human right for all. We recognize our privilege of being able to pursue an education when universities in Gaza no longer exist, and acknowledge our right to peacefully protest while others are met with violence. We encourage each and every member of our COA community to gather, share, have conversations, and learn from one another during this devastating time.
What are our demands for the administration of COA?
In light of the actions COA is currently taking to safeguard our right to protest, we present the following demands:
COA continues to protect our community’s right to freedom of speech and right to protest indefinitely
COA publicly denounces the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
COA discloses their investments.
COA as an institution prioritizes divestment from all weapon manufacturing, surveillance and tech, and construction companies that are profiting from the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
Further information:
The encampment was set up in the evening of Sunday, April 28.
The encampment currently has 30 tents set up.
Around 20% of the student body (~75 students) is engaged with the protest.
Currently the encampment is not an academic strike.
There is no defined end date to the encampment.
Anyone is more than welcome to visit the encampment during the day; however, COA administration has requested that non-COA community members refrain from camping onsite.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
COA’s sustainable investment fund
COA’s web page about its investment.
COA’s philanthropy report
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ThankYou.
I am positively impressed by the thoughtfulness of this statement and the associated demands. Especially the centrality of concern for human suffering, and finding personal and local ways of taking responsibility. With reasonable and possibly achievable goals. It is a good opening for investigation and dialogue. Given what we know so far of the students and COA administrators involved, I am hopeful for progress and success. I hope that there is no attempt by any outside COA to interfere for their own personal or political purposes.
As an American Jew and Zionist, my heart stops at the word 'genocide.' But given the record of the Netanyahu himself, his successive and increasingly extremist administrations, and his current coalition and cabinet - it seems inescapable. As does the plight of Palestinians in Gaza - caught between the terrorism of Hamas and the state terrorism of the current Netanyahu regime. For this reason the protests are necessary
It will be difficult to sort out and understand the ties any academic institution has with any government entity. Science is essentially collaborative. I hope COA's emphasis on science and society - COAs mission, priorities, and habits of mind - will help in the task ahead.