From April 25th to May 13th, 2024, Cornell University student activists created an encampment on the Arts Quad to protest against the Israeli military action in Gaza. The encampment was part of a global student movement to advocate for divestment from companies and institutions that supported the Israeli siege on Gaza, and its occupation of the West Bank. The Cornell encampment also incorporated aspects of the Land Back movement for Indigenous Americans, comparing America’s colonization of Indigenous people to Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Photos are in chronological order.

Cornell Encampment

April 25th

The Cornell University administration told the students that after 8 pm, anyone left in the encampment would be considered trespassing and at risk of suspension and arrest.

In response, the Coalition for Mutual Liberation (CML) organized a rally at the encampment that night, hoping to deter police presence.

The encampment lasted past 8 pm without any police intervention.

April 26th

In the afternoon, the Cornell administration announced the temporary suspension of four students involved with the encampment. Three of them were on the CML negotiation team.

That night, an anti-zionist shabbat celebration took place. Participants discussed the long Jewish tradition of fighting against injustice.

April 27th

April 28th

April 29th

April 30th

Members of the encampment take photos of a rainbow after a storm.

A car parked across from the encampment blasts the Israeli national anthem and flashes its headlights as student activists prepare to sleep.

May 1st

An encampment member draws a sketch of a police officer tackling a student protestor at the Emory University encampment a few days prior.

May 3rd

A rally is held in support of the encampment and divestment from Israel. Protestors also denounced the Israeli invasion into Rafah which began the day earlier.

May 7th

Members of the encampment react to a live transcript of the CML negotiation team’s meeting with Cornell President Martha Pollack. The meeting ended without any agreements between both parties.

May 10th

May 13th

In the last week of the semester, CML took down the encampment but promised to begin protesting again immediately the following semester. A final virgil was held in the encampment that night.

Post Encampment Activism

On October 18th, CML organized a rally outside of the Cornell board of trustees meeting. The students continued to call for divestment from Israel. They also demanded the school reverse its recent suspension of four undergraduate students for their participation in a protest the month prior. They set up a single tent outside the meeting to show their willingness to create a new encampment this year.