URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — A group of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty will be rallying on the university's main quad in support of pro-Palestinian student protestors.
UIUC's Faculty for Justice in Palestine will be on the quad at 5 p.m. Monday for a rally called “Hands off Rafah, Solidarity with our Students.”
The group is calling on university leadership to "acknowledge student demands for 1) divestment from weapons manufacturers, 2) disclosure of all financial assets and investments, 3) an end to all ties with genocidal corporations (as designated by that Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel), and 4) amnesty for all student protesters."
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Illinois students have been demonstrating on campus with tent encampments. The local protest is part of a nationwide movement of college students calling on school administrations to divest from companies that contribute to the war effort in Gaza or do business with Israel.
Last week, U of I officials said they would not meet with representatives of the demonstrating students until the unauthorized tents were removed from the quad.
FILE - Pro-Palestinian students demonstrating at the University of Illinois campus on Wednesday, April 24.
The statement released by UIUC FJP said that Chancellor Robert J. Jones "broke his promise to student negotiators and backed out of all agreements with students, reached after several days of negotiations" on Sunday.
WAND News reached out to university administration for comment. Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler said that she could confirm university leaders engaged in conversations with the students, but "they were not negotiations."
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