Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Monitoring: Protesters at Evergreen State College in Olympia have reached an agreement with administrators that includes reviewing the withdrawal of investments from companies that "benefit from the occupation of Palestinian lands."
This development has made Evergreen part of a group of universities, including Brown and Northwestern that have reached agreements between protesting students and university administrators. Meanwhile, students and faculty members have staged similar sit-ins at other universities in the United States, including the University of Washington. Protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the occupation of Palestinian lands have also recently taken place at other Washington universities, including Gonzaga University in Spokane.
At UCLA, Columbia University, and other universities, students and faculty members have been arrested and their sit-ins have been attacked by police.
In contrast to the behavior of American police at other universities, during the week-long sit-in at this college, no student was arrested, no student was harassed or abused by police, and no student was taken to court.
According to the agreement, a committee will be formed to review the university's investment policies to consider withdrawing investments from companies that "benefit from severe human rights violations or the occupation of Palestinian lands."
A second committee will create a policy to reject research funding related to "illegal occupation abroad" or funding that restricts freedom of expression or suppresses minorities. Both committees will present their policy recommendations by fall 2024.
Two other committees will propose the creation of a new structure to review the university police, which oversees the Evergreen police officers.
As part of the agreement, John Carmichael, president of Evergreen State College, will send an email statement calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the release of all hostages, and the expansion of humanitarian aid to the region. The university has also agreed not to approve study abroad programs in Israel, Gaza, or the West Bank until the war ends.
Meanwhile, two protests were held at the University of Washington this week, both organized by anti-Israeli occupation protesters demanding the university cut financial and academic ties with Israel and Boeing.
The significance of Evergreen State College lies in the fact that Rachel Corrie, a famous American activist against Israeli crimes, studied at this university.
Rachel Corrie, 23, attempted in 2003 to protect Palestinian homes from demolition in the border city of Rafah, Gaza. However, Israeli soldiers tragically bulldozed and killed her./Pars Today