Bowdoin College closed its student center Friday morning as students camped out inside the building and roughly 90 people gathered outside to urge the school to take action against Israel’s war in Gaza.
The demonstrators included Bowdoin students and other community members, who called for the college to financially divest from arms companies supporting Israel in its war.
While there have been other student demonstrations on Maine college campuses against Israel’s war — and many others across the county — the one in Brunswick stood out for prompting the school to close one of its busiest facilities to the public. The demonstrators camped out in Smith Union, a hub for student life that includes a pub, a cafe, a mail center and other amenities.
Security guards had it closed off Friday, but around noon, a group of about 20 protesters who were outside pushed past security to join the encampment, according to the Bowdoin Orient. While the student union remained closed into the afternoon, student protesters also held the doors open to allow people and supplies through.
The protest came as President Donald Trump has shifted more attention to Gaza after he called for the U.S. to take over and redevelop Gaza, and after he issued an executive order and a statement calling for the cancellation of student visas for international students who participate in pro-Palestine protests.
The Bowdoin College demonstrators timed their protest to coincide with a meeting that the school’s board of trustees was reportedly having in Boston this week. In a press release, the demonstrators accused the school of “stalling” on responding to a list of demands that students approved in a vote last May.
At the time, Bowdoin students urged the school to take a public stand against Israeli’s bombing of kids and educational facilities, disclose any investments the college has in arms manufacturers and commit to not investing in defense-focused funds. They also requested that the board of trustees reinstate an independent committee of students, faculty and staff to oversee social responsibility in the college’s investments.
While the school has formed a committee, it has no real power to influence the college’s investment, and the school is continuing to delay action, according to Shira Cooper, who graduated from Bowdoin in December and was protesting outside the student union Friday.
The demonstration started Thursday night, with students filing into Smith Union and setting up camp with tents. Cooper said the college locked the building from the outside around 1 a.m. Friday, and it was still locked as of 11:30 a.m. Several people had to pass food to the security guards to provide to the students inside.
“The overwhelming message from every person in the [investment committee] meeting — faculty, staff, student — is all calling for divestment from arms companies,” Cooper said. “And for good reason, Bowdoin is committed to the common good, and so we should commit to that in our investment practices.”
Bowdoin College said the protesting students are in violation of its policies and may be disciplined.
“The demonstration that began on our campus on Feb. 6 is in clear violation of our policies, and those students who are participating will be subject to the disciplinary process,” said Mary Baumgartner, a spokesperson for the college. “Bowdoin’s priority is to ensure that all our students, faculty, and staff feel safe and welcome on campus.”