College Once Attended by Obama Yields to Pro-Palestinian Protesters

Occidental College, the Los Angeles school former President Barack Obama attended before transferring to Columbia University, has agreed to vote on a decision to divest from Israel, concluding the pro-Palestinian protest on campus, reported KTLA 5.

The move, though, would likely violate anti-BDS laws, per Breitbart, considering then-Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2016 bill barring California and its public agencies from contracting with businesses that engage in discriminatory conduct due to a boycott of Israel or any other nation.

Occidental’s Students for Justice in Palestine touted the news on Instagram.

“After eight days of camping, we won,” it said.

“Oxy has disclosed its investments in four companies that aid and abet the [Israel Defense Force’s] conduct of its genocide in Gaza. Meetings will be held and a vote on divestment of Oxy’s money in the four aforementioned companies [Lockheed Martin, Elbit, Boeing, and Caterpillar] will take place no later than June 6, 2024. No students, staff, faculty members, or community will be punished for participation in the Oxy Gaza Solidarity Encampment or related campus protests.”

Occidental College signed an agreement with the activists and said it would not discipline any protester based on participation in the encampment “so long as Demonstrators do not increase current levels of encampment, signage, or other activities.”