Editor’s Note: Jamie Hindery serves as an Undergraduate Representative on multiple Academic Senate committees, but only spoke to City on a Hill Press on behalf of the negotiation team at this time.

Demonstrators hoisted a 30-foot banner above the entrance of the new UC Santa Cruz Gaza Solidarity Encampment. 

“There are no universities left in Gaza,” it read. 

Twenty days after the encampment’s inception, its members marched from Quarry Plaza to the Barn Theater, tents in hand. Behind them, organizers left behind one lone tent and walls covered in spray paint, chalk, and red hand prints. The crowd shut down Hagar and Coolidge Dr. as they moved to the base of campus, where they met with striking UAW 4811 workers. 

Their relocation march paid homage to the 1948 Nakba in which the Israeli occupation expelled over 750,000 Palestinians from their land, according to a May 20 UCSC Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) press release. 

In a matter of hours on March 20, Parking Lot 122 transformed from a patch of dirt into a sprawl of dozens of tents

The move came after UCSC SJP labeled negotiations between the encampment and administration as ‘failed’ on May 10. 

“Because we did not get our demands met, we decided to escalate. We put ourselves in a more visible spot where we can interact with our community and help each other out,” said SJP media liaison Groovy, who asked to be referred to by a pseudonym due to privacy and safety concerns.

Negotiations between encampment intermediaries and UCSC administration representatives occurred May 4 through May 10. Administrators present included campus provost and executive vice chancellor (CPEVC) Lori Kletzer, vice chancellor for the division of student affairs and success Akirah Bradley-Armstrong, and dean of students (DoS) Garrett Naiman.

According to encampment negotiation intermediary Jamie Hindery, both parties are unwilling to make any further concessions.

“We were told the final offer we received from administration was standing and would remain standing until we were told otherwise,” Hindery said. “We in turn informed administration that  [our] final offer is also standing [….] It was communicated that they didn’t have the authority to change any more language on what they were offering us, and that wasn’t enough for us.”

Chancellor Larive sent out her first public response to the UCSC encampment via a campus-wide email on May 16. She called the encampment “unlawful,” and urged participants to voluntarily disband, citing unease from the community and safety concerns. 

Chancellor Larive reiterated her request for disbandment in a May 20 campus-wide email, threatening possible disciplinary action, but encampment members remain steadfast in their goals. 

“We’ve got that looming threat of [administrative retaliation] being here, but we’re here to stay until those demands are met and we are hoping to get back [to] that table and get some tangible wins,” Groovy said.

Assistant vice chancellor of communications and marketing Scott Hernandez-Jason replied to City on a Hill Press’ request for comment on May 13 stating, “Over the past week, we engaged in talks to seek an amicable resolution including the voluntary disbanding of the encampment. We continue to seek that outcome. We acknowledge the ongoing effects of the encampment’s presence on our campus and remain focused on the safety and health of our students and employees.” 
CHP also contacted Chancellor Larive, CPEVC Kletzer, DoS Garrett Naiman, and associate vice chancellor for risk and safety services Clement Stokes for a comment regarding encampment negotiations on May 12 and 13, but did not receive a response before publication.

What was once a reminder for students to make their voices heard through the Undergraduate Experience Survey is now adorned with the demands and slogans of the encampment.

This timeline was created based on negotiation documents obtained by City on a Hill Press, with the exception of May 4.~