On Sunday, Sept. 15, approximately 60 students gathered in front of Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr’s house on N. College Avenue for a demonstration led by Pomona Divest from Apartheid (PDfA).
The demonstration, which began at 11:50 p.m., went on for about 20 minutes and included a series of screams and chants calling on the college to divest from what students have previously described as “companies aiding the ongoing apartheid system within the State of Israel.”
According to the college, Sunday’s protest violated demonstration policies and student conduct investigations are underway.
Hours before the demonstration, PDfA posted on Instagram asking students to meet at Pomona’s Marston Quad at 11:30 p.m. that night. The post included a video of Starr speaking to protestors in Alexander Hall during the Apr. 5 arrests last semester, with the words “GENOCIDE GINA” and “we remember our enemies” displayed over it.
“WE ARE STILL HERE,” the caption reads. “360,000 PLUS. NO PEACE FOR THE PERPETRATORS OF GENOCIDE.”
Students, many donning all-black outfits, keffiyehs and face masks, began making their way over to Marston Quad at about 11:30 p.m. At 11:46 p.m., they began the short walk to Starr’s residence, reaching the house in a matter of minutes where they stood scattered across the nearby sidewalk.
Several campus safety vehicles were parked nearby, their engines running. One speaker, whose face and body were covered and unidentifiable, broke — what had been up until that point — near silence.
“If you don’t already know, we’re going to be channeling some rage,” they said. “If you’re not feeling angry already, get fucking angry. This school is funding genocide, and this person is the head of this school, so let’s give her a piece of our minds.”
The speaker counted down from three, and the protesters broke out in a collective scream directed at Starr’s house. The scream lasted four minutes. When it was over, the speaker urged those who still had energy to participate in a series of chants.
“While bombs are dropping in Gaza, paid by this institution, [Starr] should not be able to get any sleep at night,” they said. “No one on this fucking campus should be able to get any sleep at night.”
The chants included phrases like “There is only one solution — Intifada revolution,” “While you’re sleeping, Gaza’s bleeding” and “When people are occupied, resistance is justified.”
After about 10 minutes, protesters wrapped up their chanting and participated in one final scream. Like the previous one, this scream went on for several minutes before protestors concluded the demonstration.
According to Patricia Vest, Pomona’s interim chief communications officer, Sunday’s protest did not adhere to the college’s community gatherings and peaceful demonstration procedures, which is why the college has pursued conduct investigations.
“The College firmly supports the rights of free expression in ways that uphold our academic mission,” Vest wrote in an email to TSL. “The College’s invitation to engage in constructive dialogue continues to be on the table. We believe that collaboration and dialogue are essential for our community in this challenging moment.”
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