Denver Pro-Palestine Students Protest Board of Trustees Meeting, Two Arrested – Fight Back! News

Denver, CO – Early in the morning of September 20th, Denver Students for a Democratic Society held a pro-Palestine rally outside the monthly board meeting of Metropolitan State University (MSU of Denver).

A large group of students and community supporters gathered and chanted in front of the Jordan Student Success Building (JSSB), where the meeting was held, while other participants from MSU Denver and Colorado University Denver disrupted the public comment section and speeches during the meeting itself held.

During the protest, Palestinian calls for solidarity were heard and speakers addressed the need to fight against the oppression of students. Several said bans and restrictions on academic freedom will not stop Denver SDS from meeting on campus and existing as a student organization.

“Students want justice, students want peace!” “Chant leader Lucia Feast shouted outside the JSSB entrance, which the crowd echoed.” “Sell now, hands off the Middle East!

Denver SDS has been organizing for MSU Denver and CU Denver for nearly a year to divest from Israel and issue a statement condemning Israel's actions in Palestine. Over the past five months, Denver SDS has continued to grow, particularly with the Auraria Solidarity Encampment for Palestine from late April to mid-May.

Neither the MSU Denver Board of Trustees nor the CU Denver Board of Regents were willing to meet with students to discuss divestment from war profiteers. Instead of investing in student support programs, they continue to invest in weapons and military intelligence companies. MSU Denver has suspended Denver SDS as a student organization and CU Denver has placed SDS on interim probation.

The probation requirements have not stopped Denver SDS from being active on its campus. Since the beginning of the fall semester, members have loudly protested against academic repression with various rallies almost weekly.

“Although it must feel like a record-breaking attempt to keep calling for divestments while the trustees ignore us, we know that the student power we demonstrate cannot and will not be ignored!” said SDS member and student University of Colorado Denver, Geral Mueller, during her speech at the rally outside.

During the trustees' meeting, two SDS members began quietly chanting, “Which side are you on?” during President Janine Davidson's speech. Justice for Gaza is justice for all of us.”

Auraria Campus police arrested these two SDS members without a dispersal order and charged them with “disrupting a lawful assembly.” The public comment section of the meeting was then skipped to prevent students from protesting the Board of Trustees' decisions.

#Denver CO #Students for a democratic society #MetropolitanStateUniversity #Sell