A call for Queen’s University to divest from Israel is at the core of a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus, which has extended from a one-day affair last Friday into nearly a week-long demonstration.
“Queen’s is investing the tuition money it takes from me into genocide,” alleged Jake Morrow, a student at the university, in an interview.
“The goal is complete divestment, first of all on a local level, Queen’s to divest from this genocide.
“The ultimate goal is for Palestine to be free.”
The encampment organizers argue that the university’s investments heavily favour Israel and companies supporting its military endeavor. They demand Queen’s University entirely divest this segment of its investment portfolio.
“One of the decisions they’ve been making a period of years now, is to invest in weapons manufacturing, weapons and Israeli apartheid and occupation,” Morrow said.
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights provided a spreadsheet that they allege illustrates the extent of Queen’s University’s financial ties to Israeli companies or those supporting its military efforts.
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Among them listed are notable entities such as Google, Exxon, Chevron, Cisco Systems, Lockheed Martin and even Airbnb.
“How do we say, ‘Not in our name?'” Morrow said. “And this needs to be the same question that students at universities across the country, across Turtle Island, across the world, are asking of their administrations.”
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However, Olaf Weber, a business professor at York University, warns that divestment might not be as straightforward as it seems.
He says Queen’s University is likely heavily invested in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, which manage their investments, making it easier said than done to pick and choose which companies hold their money.
“It’s not that the university is specifically interested in investments in these companies. It’s just part of the portfolio that they have,” Weber said.
Queen’s University confirmed that the majority of its investments are tied up in funds rather than individual company stocks.
Meanwhile, university officials held discussions with encampment organizers on Wednesday afternoon to address the situation and bring an end to the week-long protest. However, details about the outcome of these talks remain undisclosed by both parties.
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