Students at the University of Central Florida in Orlando set up an encampment early Monday in solidarity with a
in protest of Israeli violence against Palestinians and in support of their university’s divestment from Israel.
University students say they’re calling on their institutions to divest from defense companies and weapons manufacturers that they say are driving violence against Palestinians in Israel-occupied Gaza overseas.
Student organizers at the University of Central Florida, organized as the UCF Divestment Coalition, have
on the university to disclose its financial contributions to companies fueling those war efforts. They want the administration to publicly call for a permanent ceasefire, and for the university to protect students’ First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and protest the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
While conflict between Palestinians and Israel has been ongoing for decades, the most recent wave of protest activity comes in response to the Israel-Hamas War that began Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people.