Police arrested eight pro-Palestinian protesters blocking the entrance to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Thursday, the university told the Tribune after the protest.
At least one Cal Poly faculty member was arrested, according to witnesses.
Around 7:30 a.m., a handful of people set up wooden barricades in the crosswalk at California Boulevard and Campus Way. Spray-painted cardboard signs leaned against the barricades reading “Defund Genocide” and “Free Palestine.”
The group came together to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza and to demand that Cal Poly divest from companies that support and profit from the war.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack, Israeli military attacks have killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Meanwhile, Hamas still holds around 100 Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7, the AP said.
Many Cal Poly student groups, including Students for Quality Education, posted a call to action on Instagram Thursday morning, urging people to protest.
The Cal Poly chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America also posted about the protest on Instagram. In their Instagram bio, the group linked to a list of demands for the university.
Demands include that Cal Poly support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, create supportive space for Palestinian students, faculty, staff and their supporters on campus, drop all charges against student protesters and divests from companies “that profit from war, prisons, detention centers and police,” the list says.
Ashraf Tubeileh, a plant sciences professor at Cal Poly, observed the protest from the sidewalk Thursday. He grew up in the West Bank of Palestine and participated in other local protests calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
“I hope to see the administration listen to the students,” Tubeileh said. “Our students are in distress, they are witnessing a genocide. They are really frustrated and want to make their voices heard.
Cal Poly spokesman Matt Lazier said the university has no plans to divest.
“Cal Poly has no place in boycotting/divestment from certain countries,” Lazier wrote in an email to The Tribune. “International boycotts and divestments are inherently political and often involve complex and historical geopolitical issues. The role of the university is to serve as a content-neutral space for the free exchange of ideas, thoughts and discourse; the university is not a political body and its role is not to create public policy or foreign policy strategies.
Police arrested eight protesters, Cal Poly said
At the start of the protest, three people sat next to the barricades, while four others stood in the crosswalk, a photo posted to Instagram by Cal Poly Students for Quality Education showed.
Eventually, about 30 people joined the protest, according to Tubeileh.
Some people crossed the crosswalk, chanting “Free Palestine” and “Armstrong, you can’t hide, we accuse you of genocide!” » Jeffrey Armstrong is the president of Cal Poly.
Other people gathered on the sidewalk with cardboard signs.
Officers from the Cal Poly Police Department, the San Luis Obispo Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office patrolled the area and blocked the intersection to vehicle traffic.
Around 9:40 a.m., some protesters locked arms and formed a circle around the barricade, according to witnesses.
Between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., representatives from Cal Poly’s dean of students office stopped to speak with protesters, according to Tubeileh – the first time he has seen university representatives speak with campus protesters .
Police arrested two protesters around 10:50 a.m., according to several witnesses. Police then ordered protesters to disperse around 11 a.m., according to witnesses.
“Police issued a dispersal order to the protesters because their actions were illegal and blocked a busy road, presenting safety concerns for themselves and drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in the area. When protesters refused to cooperate with the order, police were forced to arrest and remove the individuals from the road,” Lazier wrote in an email to The Tribune.
At 11:15 a.m., two demonstrators had chained themselves to the barricades and around fifteen police officers surrounded them. Sheriff’s deputies in riot gear formed a perimeter as police officers broke protesters away from the barricade and arrested them one by one.
“Cal Poly supports lawful protests and demonstrations but will not tolerate illegal activities,” Lazier wrote in the email. “Ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of the campus community and visitors is a priority for the university, and Cal Poly will fully enforce the laws and rules governing its campus to maintain this standard. Anyone who undermines or compromises this through illegal activity or by violating university policy is subject to the consequences of their actions.
Around 11:50 a.m., the demonstrators and the police had all left the intersection.
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