Editor鈥檚 Note: To help inform The Herald鈥檚 ongoing coverage, please with your questions about the February hunger strike.
On Sunday, 19 student protestors entered the third day of their hunger strike, despite the refusal of President Christina Paxson P鈥�19 P鈥橫D鈥�20 to meet their demand that the Corporation, the University鈥檚 highest governing body, 鈥渉ears and considers a divestment resolution,鈥� during its meetings that begin this week.
The protestors demand that any divestment resolution be consistent with the 2020 compiled by the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies, which recommended the University divest its endowment from 鈥渃ompanies which profit from human rights abuses in Palestine.鈥�
Paxson previously refused to adhere to the report, that 鈥渢he recommendation did not adequately address the requirements for rigorous analysis and research as laid out in ACCRIP鈥檚 charge, nor was there the requisite level of specificity in regard to divestment.鈥�
In her recent letter to the protestors, Paxson wrote that the first step toward requesting divestment 鈥渋s not a Corporation resolution, but rather to submit a proposal to the Advisory Committee on University Resource Management鈥� 鈥� the successor to ACCRIP.
Paxson also wrote that she will 鈥渘ot commit to bring a resolution to the February 2024 Corporation meeting or any future meeting of the Corporation.鈥�
In a statement shared with The Herald responding to Paxson鈥檚 letter, the strike organizers argued that the ACURM proposal consideration process would take too long, writing that it could 鈥渢ake months 鈥� an untenable timeline given the urgency of the crisis in Gaza.鈥�
The strikers have not submitted a proposal to ACURM, nor do they plan to do so, according to strike spokesperson Sam Stewart 鈥�24.
The protesting students also wrote that they 鈥渨ill continue (the) hunger strike as long as President Paxson refuses to engage with our demands.鈥�
In response to the students鈥� continuation of the strike, University Spokesperson Brian Clark reiterated that the 2020 proposal will not be brought forward for a vote, but that student protesters can submit a divestment proposal through ACURM.
This is not the first time student protestors have been referred to ACURM.
In a December sit-in, Paxson refused to revisit her decision not to adhere to a 2020 compiled by ACCRIP. During this demonstration, 41 students demanded full divestment from 鈥淚sraeli military occupation鈥� and were subsequently arrested on trespassing charges and referred to ACURM.
In Friday鈥檚 letter, Paxson encouraged the protestors to look after their mental and physical well-being throughout the duration of the strike and shared University health resources available to students. She added that 鈥減rotest is also unacceptable if it creates a substantial threat to personal safety of any member of the community.鈥�
The University previously disenrolled four students participating in a hunger strike protesting the University鈥檚 partial divestment policy of South African apartheid in the 1980s. The then-administration cited health and liability concerns for the disenrollment, according to a 1986 article by The Herald.
In Saturday鈥檚 response statement, the protesting students wrote that the University鈥檚 鈥渃ontinued material support of companies that enable and profit from the genocide in Gaza鈥� creates such a 鈥渟ubstantial threat.鈥�
The University is not directly invested in any weapons manufacturing companies, but a substantial portion of its endowment is invested through manager portfolios, The Herald previously reported. The University is contractually obligated not to disclose the companies in these portfolios, but told students that none have a focus in the defense industry.
鈥淲e are confident that our external managers have the highest level of ethics and share the values of the Brown community,鈥� Clark wrote in a Sunday email to The Herald, 鈥渋ncluding the rejection of violence.鈥�
A Saturday morning post detailed the strikers鈥� schedule for the day: Plans included morning announcements at the Stephen Robert 鈥�62 Campus Center 鈥� where students flooded on Friday immediately after the hunger strike announcement 鈥� as well as related arts and literature events.
On Sunday, the protestors released a similar , detailing plans to create art, host educational events and write letters to the Corporation.
At Saturday鈥檚 Campus Center morning announcements, the strike organizers sent out an interest form to attending students for potential upcoming events. These included an additional rally on the Main Green, a day-long Campus Center occupation and a 鈥渟hort-term solidarity fast.鈥�
Late Sunday evening, student activist groups shared a which announced another rally slated for on Monday afternoon.
At this time, no official announcements have been made regarding the solidarity fast or Campus Center occupation.
Throughout the weekend, protestors also displayed banners in dining halls around campus and distributed fliers to student diners.
Protestors affiliated with the Palestine Solidarity Caucus and Brown Divest Coalition have also distributed written materials to prospective students embarking on campus tours. These fliers, obtained by The Herald, detail the current hunger strike and demands for divestment, as well as discuss recent arrests of student protestors.
The University has restricted campus access for external media attempting to cover the hunger strike, according to an , a reporter at the Providence Journal. Clark cited the University鈥檚 , which requires news media to 鈥渃onsult with the Office of University Communications before entering campus,鈥� as part of its reasoning. He clarified that public spaces, such as sidewalks, are available for third-party journalists.
According to various Instagram posts, groups who have collaborated in daily programming for the strike include the BDC, BrownU Jews for Ceasefire Now, the PSC, Students for Justice in Palestine, Sunrise at Brown and Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere.
On Sunday, JFCN began hosting 鈥溾�� that will continue throughout the week.
Owen Dahlkamp is a Section Editor overseeing coverage for University 国产偷拍 and Science & Research. Hailing from San Diego, CA, he is concentrating in political science and cognitive neuroscience with an interest in data analytics. In his free time, you can find him making spreadsheets at Dave鈥檚 Coffee.
Samantha is a University 国产偷拍 editor who oversees the Affinity & Activism beat. She is a sophomore from Tampa, Florida concentrating in Sociology. In her free time, Samantha likes to cook and watch Survivor.
