ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- It’s been more than 24 hours since students at Cornell University have set up an encampment on the Arts Quad on campus, calling it a ‘liberated zone.’  

In the first referendum in 25 years, undergraduate students passed a resolution in favor of calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and divesting from weapons manufacturers on April 22. 

Momodou Taal, a member of Coalition for Mutual Liberation, says administration amongst themselves are divided when it comes to divesting from their investments and their holdings.  

“We have been speaking about divestment for like a sustained period of time. And the encampment is just a further escalation in trying to achieve that goal. But where it stands now, administrations are unwilling to negotiate, unwilling to talk about anything until the encampment comes down.”  

The encampment was set up on campus the morning of April 25, however the University in a recent statement says an art installation was approved for Climate Justice Cornell and tent set-ups were not a part of the agreement.  

“If we want to look at the timeline as to when the event was booked, the event was booked maybe a week or two ago for an art installation,” says Taal “an art installation by an organization who happens to be a part of CML. The encampments became a thing in Columbia last Wednesday. So, the booking, in my understanding, is prior and proceeds the decision to have an encampment.”  

Cornell University initially gave students alternative locations to relocate, but they denied them. In turn, the university says if the students do not take down the tents “promptly,” disciplinary actions would be taken.  

According to CML, around 3 p.m. on April 26, 4 students were suspended, including graduate workers, in an email for violating the Student Code of Conduct. 

One of the students who have been suspended is PhD student Momodou Taal.

 

“We have a mandate and the backing of the student body to be here at this time. So, I think where we choose to be in terms of visibility, and we want the support of the student body, and this is what we're getting in a place like this. That cannot be guaranteed if we go to where they're suggesting.”  

In an Instagram posted by Cornell Hillel, the organization released a statement in response to the recent divisive referendum, writing “Grinspoon Hillel is deeply disappointed that the Cornell University student body voted for the divisive referendum questions that demonizes Israel and further targets and marginalizes the Jewish community on our campus.”  

During the first night of the encampment, Taal says Jewish students were seen visibly agitated.  

“I literally heard students calling the police on predominantly students of color and saying, ‘when are you going to do something about this?’” 

Lea Esipov, a first-year student who is a member of Jewish Voices for Peace at Cornell, says they've been clashing with members of their own community.  

“Most of the, I guess, like hate that I've received has come from people that share my Jewish identity. It's been people that harass JVP online over and over and over again, DM us, calling us like traitors, self-hating Jews, like the typical rhetoric. And it's been frustrating because sometimes it gets to the point where it honestly feels like you're attacking me for my Judaism and for the beliefs that come along with it.”  

Jewish Voices for Peace is one of the largest organizations in the world, that Esipov describes as a space “for anti-Zionist Jews on campus and others to feel comfortable celebrating different elements of Judaism.”  

Maya Hirshch, an international student from Venezuela, was posted on the Cornell Hillel’s Instagram before the vote of the resolution calling for students to vote on “all divestments” in war, not just Israel. Esipov says only one company is affiliated with Israel.  

“I think it's very frustrating because out of the ten weapons manufacturers that we're calling to divest from only one of them is an Israeli company the vast nine of them are American weapons manufacturers.”  

Taal says he also agreed with the agreement and says he would be open to bringing a divestment referendum to speak about divestment of war in general.  

With finals approaching in two weeks and the administration facing pressure, time is now of the essence. Taal says while it was a source of inspiration to see Palestinians in Gaza have noticed the on-going movements across college campuses, he says it doesn’t want their movement to take away from the focus on Palestinians on the Gaza strip.  

“We're trying to speak with [Palestinians] and not for them.”