EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan State University students and supporters set up an encampment at the People’s Park on campus Thursday morning protesting what they call the genocide in Gaza and demanding the university divest of any investments in Israel.

“We are here to help demand that the university divest from its investments in genocide, with investments in Israeli aid, and weapons manufacturers,” said MSU third year student Camille DuVernois.

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DuVernois told Michigan News Source this encampment was planned over the last two days by Hurriya, a coalition of MSU student groups and the greater Lansing community who are advocating for Palestinian rights.

MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz spoke with the protestors and Duvernois said, “He kept reiterating that he wanted us to be safe, and he wanted us to be able to exercise our right to free speech, and that the university was reviewing their investments and their endowments.” Duvernois called the move “progress.”

“At the last Board of Trustees meeting they had explicitly said that divestment from some of the causes we’ve been rallying them to divest from, like fossil fuels and Israel and weapons manufacturers, they said that was not a possibility because it would be too chaotic,” Duvernois said. “But I think we’re proving that this is going to be more chaotic for them than divestment.”

DuVernois said she was told the tents were against a university ordinance, but no action had yet been taken to remove them. She added as far as she knew the Board of Trustees were okay with their peaceful protesting.