USC protests: Demonstrators meet with Carol Folt for second time

LOS ANGELES - Organizers of pro-Palestinian protests at USC held a second day of meetings with university President Carol Folt Tuesday to discuss their demands such as divesting from companies with interests in Israel and suspending study-abroad programs in the area, with no reported progress toward any agreements.

USC protesters met with Folt and other university officials for about 90 minutes Monday afternoon, and they met again Tuesday afternoon. The meeting, however, did not appear to bring the two sides any closer together.

"I had a second meeting today with the same group from the encampment," Folt said in a statement Tuesday. "We brought some very specific proposals that would address concerns they had about the endowment, which they have said is one of their most important issues. I deeply respect the passion they feel for their cause and recognize the pain and suffering taking place in our own community as well as in the Middle East.

SUGGESTED: Dueling Palestine, Israel protests continue on UCLA campus

"Unfortunately, they seemed more interested in having me issue a political statement in support of their viewpoint as opposed to coming up with practical solutions to resolve the situation."

Speaking to a reporter with independent student-led media platform Annenberg Media after the meeting, Folt said there was "a lot of conversation back and forth, so I feel like that's very meaningful."

"I hope we continue to have meaningful conversations," she said, calling the dialogue "interesting and important."

"I also feel very grateful to everyone for keeping the campus so that people can continue to go about all (their) business," she said. "... I just want that to be what we continue to do, and I'm seeing that."

It was unclear if any more meetings were scheduled, but Folt said she would try to get another media set up.

There was no immediate response about the meeting from protest organizers.

Following Monday's meeting, the USC Divest from Death Coalition said in a statement it was "deeply disappointed that the university claims ignorance of our divest campaign."

Folt, USC lawyer Beong-soo Kim and Vice President of Student Life Monique Allard "did not come to the meeting with any actionable insights or concrete steps to address any of our demands," the statement said after Monday's session. The same administrators are believed to have taken part in Tuesday's meeting.

"Folt claims she was unaware of our divestment campaign until the start of the occupation. This is despite the fact that we launched our academic divestment campaign, Suspend Study Abroad in Israel on April 11 and organized a walkout and strike on April 15."

A mass protest and march on the USC campus last week led to 93 arrest of people who refused orders to vacate Alumni Park. USC officials accused participants in that day's march of vandalizing buildings and violating university rules against camping, erecting tents and posting signs. Protest participants insisted they were engaged in a peaceful action that was escalated by law enforcement. They have also lashed out at USC for inflaming the issue by canceling a commencement speech by pro-Palestinian valedictorian Asna Tabassum.

Protesters re-established a camp at USC over the weekend, and thus far, it has been allowed to remain in place.

USC became a focal point of Southland Palestinian protests following its decision to cancel Tabassum's commencement speech in response to complaints about online posts that critics called antisemitic. USC officials insisted the move was solely a security issue, not a political decision.

As tensions continued mounting -- leading to last Wednesday's mass protest -- the university eventually opted to cancel its May 10 main stage commencement in Alumni Park altogether, but vowed to move forward with the usual array of smaller satellite graduation ceremonies for the school's individual colleges.

Some of those ceremonies, however, could also be impacted by the debate over the Israel-Hamas war. Two dignitaries who had been scheduled to speak during a pair of commencement activities announced Sunday they were withdrawing from the events.

Author C Pam Zhang was scheduled to speak at a doctoral ceremony on May 8. Author Safiya U. Noble was set to speak during a May 10 masters ceremony.

"To speak at USC in this moment would betray not only our own values, but USC's too," the pair wrote in a letter to university administrators on Sunday. "We are withdrawing as commencement speakers. We cannot overlook the link between recent developments and the ongoing genocide in Palestine."

The letter added, "Asna's removal, the administration's refusal to engage in dialogue with student protesters, and the decision to invite LAPD forces onto campus, represent a violent and targeted refusal to allow true diversity of expression to flourish on campus. The right to free speech and peaceful protest are not only fundamental to democracy, but a particular, proud feature of American universities."

Folt sent a message to the campus community Friday saying the university had no choice but to call police during a mass protest last Wednesday. Los Angeles Police Department officers ultimately arrested 93 people who refused to leave the campus' Alumni Park.

"This week, Alumni Park became unsafe," Folt said in her message. "No one wants to have people arrested on their campus. Ever. But, when longstanding safety policies are flagrantly violated, buildings vandalized, (Department of Public Safety) directives repeatedly ignored, threatening language shouted, people assaulted, and access to critical academic buildings blocked, we must act immediately to protect our community.

"USC has longstanding protocols that allow for peaceful protesting, and we have been working successfully with our community to ensure these rules have been followed at gatherings, protests, and vigils taking place all year. USC also has firm rules regarding harassment and bullying that we will uphold."