Updated April 26
Cal Poly Humboldt will remain on lockdown through May 10 when the semester ends, the university announced on Friday, April 26, after dozens of anti-Israel protesters barricaded themselves inside two buildings on Monday including a highly trafficked hall on the main quad.
Violent scenes circulated on social media as student protesters clashed with riot police. Three people had been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the university.
“The safety, health, and wellbeing of our students is paramount as the situation has become increasingly complex,” according to a statement emailed Wednesday to J. from director of news and information Aileen Yoo. “There are unidentified non-students with unknown intentions, in Siemens Hall. This creates an unpredictable environment.”
On Monday night, the university canceled in-person classes after activists stormed Siemens Hall and said they would not leave until their demands are met. Some classes and activities have continued online, the university said. Among the protesters’ demands are that Humboldt “disclose all holdings and collaborations” with what is referred to as “the zionist entity,” and “cut all ties with Israeli universities,” according to Humboldt for Palestine, a group that said it supports the protest but did not organize it.
Formerly known as Humboldt State, the campus became California State Polytechnic University Humboldt two years ago. According to its website, about 5,900 undergraduates attend the school. It has a relatively small Jewish population of about 150 students, according to estimates from Hillel International. It does not have a Hillel house on campus but is served by Chabad of Humboldt, which could not be reached Wednesday because of Passover.
The escalation in on-campus protests seen at Humboldt reflects a national wave, as student activists enraged by Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza are increasingly risking punishment from both their universities and law enforcement. More than 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University last week, including the daughter of a member of the U.S. Congress, after they camped out in tents on the university quad and refused to leave.
Still, the scenes at Humboldt, a university in the town of Arcata about 90 miles south of the Oregon border, were striking. They show a violent standoff between students and police amid a protest that has brought the normal functioning of the university to a halt.
A blog post that appeared to carry a message from the protesters said they have been “inspired by” protests at Columbia and elsewhere around the country.
Video posted Tuesday by Humboldt County freelance journalist Ryan Hutson showed a throng of students standing face to face with police, who were wearing protective gear, as they attempted to enter a university building barricaded with desks and chairs. The students screamed at the top of their lungs “We are not afraid of you!” and other chants. In a mass of bodies, the students attempted to block police from entering the building. Police pushed back using their protective shields, as students began to hurl objects at officers. One student who was banging on an empty five-gallon water jug began hitting police with it. Police fought back with batons, striking students, before eventually retreating.
University administrators issued a series of emergency warnings this week to students, informing them that all campus buildings would be closed except in limited instances like the dorms and dining, health and counseling services. Athletic events and activities would be relocated. “All other on-campus events have been canceled,” one notice said.
“The University supports free speech through open dialogue that is respectful and constructive,” the university statement said. “That does not include behavior that involves destroying and damaging property, and disrupting students, faculty, and staff from learning, teaching, and working.”