On Oct. 30, Pomona Divest from Apartheid hosted a teach-in webinar about Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr’s recent decision to suspend and ban dozens of students who were allegedly involved in the Oct. 7 occupation of Carnegie Hall. At the teach-in, speakers shared information about what students have been experiencing, what their punishments entail and how others can help.
The teach-in, titled, “The Palestine Exception: Pomona’s Violent Repression of Student Speech,” was facilitated by two Pomona students who identified themselves as allies of the suspended students.
The webinar began with a discussion on the current state of free speech at Pomona, with the speakers focusing on several new college policies: the ban on encampments, the regulations for protests and the addition of five more Campus Safety officers on campus.
“We see over and over again that when it comes to Palestinian speech, to pro-Palestinian speech, the kind of protections that we see on other types of speech just don’t apply,” Audrey, one of the speakers, said. She described this action as “The Palestine Exception.”
Speakers then moved into a discussion on the recent suspensions and bans, which they described as being “only under Gabrielle Starr’s power.”
Most Pomona disciplinary action goes through the Judicial Council (JBoard) — a student-run conduct body that oversees all aspects of the Pomona College Student Code. According to speakers, though, JBoard was not informed when students received interim suspensions earlier this month. Almost two weeks later, an overwhelming majority of these students received notice that they would be suspended for the remainder of the academic year.
“It’s clear that this kind of activity that happened from Gabrielle Starr is not all related to the truth or to seeking any kind of restoration,” Audrey said. “It’s purely punitive and is designed to scare other students into not speaking out.”
Audrey then discussed the challenges that students have been going through as a result of their suspensions, saying that the situation has contributed to a culture of fear on campus.
“Students facing interim suspensions were deprived of housing, food and access to academics within 12 hours, being forced to leave their dorms with minimal time,” Audrey said. “They’re also not getting any class credit for the work that they’ve already done. They are not going to be able to graduate, necessarily, on time, and this also means that they’ve been stripped of their opportunities for work.”
According to Audrey, 70 percent of the suspended students are people of color and 40 percent are first-generation or low-income students.
“If we’re claiming to be a multicultural or diverse environment that’s supportive, it shows that Pomona is actually engaging in the demonization of people of color,” Audrey said.
Audrey and a co-facilitator said that students could get involved by signing a petition by 7C alumni calling on Pomona to divest and “oppose repression of student activists,” emailing and calling Pomona administration and writing impact statements about the suspensions.
“We need to engage in public pressure if we’re to have any hope of bringing our students back,” Audrey said. “They are not a danger to our community, they are an innate part of our community. The importance of public pressure is emphasized, as Pomona relies on its reputation for fairness and inclusivity to maintain its endowment and recruit new students.”
The teach-in concluded with a Q&A that lasted around 20 minutes.
One attendee asked, “How do we get the upper hand in the fight for divestment? How can we become more radical while also building care?” The speakers opened up the webinar chat for other attendees to share their responses to the question.
“One very good step is to absolutely refuse to engage in condemnations of any actions during Oct. 7 or otherwise,” another attendee responded. “No good cops, no bad protestors.”
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