A campus in the nation’s largest university system decided to shut down for the remainder of the semester because of anti-Israel protests that have led to the occupation of multiple buildings.
Cal Poly Humboldt, located approximately 280 miles north of San Francisco in Arcata, announced the move in a notice published on Friday, hours after the university shared a response to a series of demands from the protesters. It is one of 23 campuses that make up California State University.
“Campus is now closed through May 10, and work and academic instruction will be remote as individuals continue to occupy Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East,” the statement said.
The university also said the protesters have “attempted several times to break into multiple locked buildings with the intention of either locking themselves in, vandalizing, or stealing equipment.”
Cal Poly Humboldt, which first closed campus last week, is one of a litany of universities around the country grappling with students and others demonstrating in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Some institutions have begun to take precautions as clashes with protesters escalate, leading to arrests and reports of anti-Semitic behavior.
Columbia University, the epicenter of the protest activity, has shifted to hybrid learning for the rest of the semester. And the University of Southern California canceled its main commencement ceremony.
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Cal Poly Humboldt said on Friday that protesters in occupied buildings had until the early evening to leave with a “guarantee of no immediate arrest.”
On Saturday, the university stated that a “hard closure” of campus was being enforced, meaning that anybody present without authorization from University Police would be subject to citation or arrest.
In response to protester demands, Cal Poly Humboldt acknowledged “indirect investment” with companies or securities linked to Israel and “would welcome the opportunity to discuss the investment policies in the future.”
The university also denied having ties to Israeli universities, rebuffed a call to change a policy for requesting a police response, and said students who voluntarily leave occupied buildings have a “mitigating” factor considered when it comes to penalties.