The University of Houston has found itself at the center of a contentious call for divestment, as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and other activists continue their fight amidst the semester's end. Over 100 students gathered at the University of Houston Downtown to watch a live-stream of the University of Houston System board meeting, where students took the microphone to implore the regents to divest from companies that supply arms to Israel. According to Houston Chronicle, Reem Abdelaziz, a UH student and SJP member, didn't mince words, saying “I’m sure you’re sick and tired of ways to find excuses to relinquish yourself from responsibility, but allow me to make it clear: Your students are sick and tired of you,” to the board, referring to the regent's inaction on the matter.
Despite the tensions, the protest remained peaceful, contrasting with the arrests at campuses nationwide. The students outside the meeting remained undeterred, chanting, "UH your hands are red, 40,000 people dead" - demonstrating their resolve. The University of Houston System Board of Regents, however, has not placed divestment on its agenda, with UH officials claiming state law prevents universities from boycotting Israel. Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott responded to a similar situation at the University of Texas at Austin by asserting that such divestment "This will NEVER happen.", as reported by Houston Chronicle.
In a separate yet related incident, two students were taken into custody following a protest that involved the setup of tent encampments at Butler Plaza on the university's campus. As reported by Houston Landing, one student was arrested for failing to identify herself and another was accused of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. The group, which swiftly moved to the Harris County Joint Processing Center to support the arrested students, chanted, "Free Palestine" and “We want justice you say how? Free all our comrades now”
The recent demands for divestment are not new; they are part of an ongoing campaign that began last year when the UH Student Government Association passed a resolution urging the university to withdraw financial support from several top defense contractors. In addition to the divestment, student activists are demanding the implementation of a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) policy and the removal of specific vendors from campus. Farah S., a protester with the Palestinian Youth Movement Houston, articulated the urgency, saying the protest will continue until the Board of Regents takes action.
