Brown University reached an agreement on Tuesday with students protesting the war in Gaza. In exchange for ending their encampment now and pausing all future campus actions through commencement, Brown’s administration agreed that its board would vote in October on whether the university should divest from companies that do business in Israel.
The move represents the first major concession from an elite American university amid relentless student protests that have paralyzed campuses across the country, divided public opinion, and led to hundreds of arrests.
In a statement, Brown President Christina Paxson said students had agreed to end their protests and clear their camp by 5 p.m. local time Tuesday and “refrain from further actions that would violate Brown’s conduct code through the end of the academic year.”
In turn, “five students will be invited to meet with five members of the Corporation of Brown University in May to present their arguments to divest Brown’s endowment from ‘companies enabling and profiting from the genocide in Gaza.’”
