Iowa City student group continues weekend peaceful Israel-Hamas war protest on campus
Despite an early morning rain, protesters continued their demonstration Saturday on the Pentacrest of the University of Iowa campus in an event that has remained free of the violence plaguing other campuses across the country.
The "People's University of Palestine" demonstration is being organized by Iowa City Students for Justice in Palestine to stand in solidarity with student encampments that have stretched from Los Angeles to New York City.
Hundreds of protesters have been arrested at college campuses across the country during a wave of recent demonstrations. Police in riot gear arrested 132 people at UCLA in Los Angeles Wednesday night, a day after New York police arrested more than 300 individuals at Columbia University and City College.
About 20 people gathered Saturday on the U of I campus, with events scheduled through the afternoon and early evening and again Sunday. They snacked on food while Palestinian music soundtracked the afternoon.
More: Live updates: Students in Iowa City, University of Iowa lead protests supporting Palestinians
By 1:30 p.m., the group grew to about 50 people who engaged in different activities, from button making to working on projects to reading and conducting individual discussions.
Members have been calling on the University of Iowa to dissolve its partnership with Collis Aerospace and Lockheed Martin, among a list of demands the group has made in protest of the Israel-Hamas war.
On Saturday, group organizers led discussions on divestment as members shared why they don't "believe their tuition money should be used to fund genocide" or wanted to "learn more about the conflict."
More: Iowa City student group prepares for weekend Israel-Hamas war rally on Pentacrest
They talked about boycotts, divestment and sanctions, delving more into the University of Iowa's ties to military and defense companies Collins Aerospace and Lockheed Martin, as well as Bar-Ilan University (one of the largest public research universities in Israel) and how these resources contribute to U of I programming, including the Operator Performance Laboratory and study abroad.
The talk concluded with organizers encouraging people to continue to conversation and send emails to University of Iowa Department heads to call for divestment. The events are planned to continue until 7 p.m. and then resume Sunday.
Iowa laws block state funds from being directly invested in companies that boycott Israel.
USA TODAY reporters Joey Garrison and Francesca Chambers contributed to this report.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: University of Iowa protests continue against Israel-Hamas war