FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Historic UCSC Divestment from Companies Complicit in the Violation of Palestinian Human Rights Challenges UC Regents’ Anti-Divestment Policy
Santa Cruz, California—May 28, 2014—At approximately 2:45AM, the University of California, Santa Cruz Student Union Assembly (SUA) passed a resolution calling for divestment from companies that profit from Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians with a majority vote of 22-14. The resolution was authored by members of the Committee for Justice in Palestine, a UCSC registered student organization, and endorsed by the UCSC chapters of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, Autonomous Students, and the Muslim Student Association. The resolution was also endorsed by several off-campus organizations such as Boycott from Within, the Santa Cruz Palestine Israel Action Committee, and the University of Cape Town Palestine Solidarity Forum.
While official discussion of the Divestment Bill was scheduled at 11PM, a SUA member motioned at approximately 8:15 to indefinitely table the bill. The motion failed. After addressing the Graduate Student Association’s appeals to condemn administrative intimidation efforts towards students in the April strike, as well as the Compassionate University Resolution and SUA budget, the Divestment testimonials were initiated at 11:30 PM.
Following the three hour debate, the first SUA vote on the resolution revealed widespread support for Divestment landing just shy of the necessary two-thirds majority. SUA representatives then voted to suspend the SUA bylaw dictating a two-thirds majority, instead requiring only a simple majority vote to pass the resolution. The resolution passed 22-14, a marked improvement over the previous 2013 UCSC Divestment Resolution, which failed 17-19.
As of Spring 2014, five of the nine UC undergraduate universities have divested from corporations profiting from, and perpetuating, human rights violations committed by the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. This directly challenges the UC Board of Regents’ undemocratic policy of refusing to divest from corporations based on their involvement in Israeli human rights violations.
The Committee for Justice in Palestine recognizes that this success could not have been reached without the support of student organizations such as Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, the Muslim Student Association, Autonomous Students, the Sikh Student Association, the African/Black Student Alliance, the Student Alliance of North American Indians, the Queer Student Union and members of the broader community.
CJP extends its deepest gratitude to all who made this stunning victory possible.
For press inquiries email santacruzcjp@gmail.com
Committee for Justice in Palestine at UC Santa Cruz 