Peaceful pro-Palestine demonstrations continued at UCF for second day
ORLANDO, Fla. - Demonstrators at the University of Central Florida put up canopies, signs, and flags and chanted on University Blvd. and Alafaya Trail. The student-led protest hopes to get the university's attention through their demonstrations on campus.
"We set up this encampment so UCF would listen to our demands," said a protester, Tamara. "Unfortunately, our rallies didn’t gather support the way they should have, so now we’re here in our tents, and we demand that UCF disclose, divest, and break their silence."
Camping is not allowed at the University of Central Florida, and students abided by those rules by leaving around 9 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday after demonstrating all day. Protests at UCF have all remained peaceful; however, similar demonstrations across the country have been violent, and encampments have grown.
Demonstrators are demanding that universities cut financial ties with companies that are connected to the Israeli Military.
"UCF has a responsibility to break away from those companies and listen to their student body," said Tamara.
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The university told FOX 35 Orlando that state and local government entities must only consider the financial factors when making financial decisions, and a spokesperson said in part:
"A call for divestment based on political or social grounds would not comport with the directives of the law. As a public university, we follow the spirit and letter of the laws and regulations passed by the elected and appointed leaders of our state."
Over the weekend, about 50 protesters were on campus for a pro-Palestine rally outside of graduation ceremonies. Some transfer students from Israel say seeing the protests on campus was unsettling.
"It’s really hard for me to see those things," said an Israeli student. "It’s fine they’re protesting, but the words they’re choosing, and the way they’re doing it, is crazy, and after what happened on Oct 7, everyone needs to get educated on what’s going on in the Middle East."
University of Central Florida Police officers were present during all the protests.