Anti-Israel Protesters End Encampment at Princeton

Anti-Israel protesters taking part in an encampment at Princeton University revealed that the encampment would be open for its last day on Wednesday

In a letter on Google Documents, the Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest (PIAD) group wrote that after three weeks of having established an encampment at the university, the last day for the encampment would be May 15 and that their “fight for divestment and Palestinian liberation” remains “undeterred.”

“Three weeks after its establishment, the Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment is open for its last day on May 15, 2024 – 222 days since Israel escalated its genocide in Gaza and a week into its invasion of Rafah. Our fight for divestment and Palestinian liberation continues undeterred,” the letter from PIAD wrote.

The letter comes after Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber sent an email to students on Monday informing them that protesters must clear the encampment, according to the Daily Princetonian.

“After refusing to meaningfully engage with us, President Eisgruber and university administration stepped up its intimidation, pressuring the camp to close yesterday, the day before Nakba Day,” the PIAD wrote in the letter. “Today, we hold our space to mourn the Nakba of 76 years and honor Palestinian political and cultural resistance, including our small role in it.”

Palestinians observe Nakba Day, the day of “catastrophe,” on May 15th, when roughly 700,000 Palestinians were displaced after the State of Israel was created in 1948.

While Palestinians see the day as a catastrophe, they revolted against the British and supported the Nazis. On the eve of May 14, Palestinians launched an attack on Israel, which was followed by an attack from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, resulting in the first Arab-Israel war.