STORY & PHOTOS BY LEV D. ZILBERMINTS
NEWARK – On May 23, 2024, Newark Solidarity Coalition, the group that has organized the Rutgers Law School encampment, held talks with the R-N administration.
“Local Talk” was invited to attend the meeting via Zoom by one of the participants. The meeting, which lasted two hours or more, saw both sides pointing fingers at each other. From the partial transcript that “Local Talk” was able to obtain, it seemed like both sides were far apart. By the end of the meeting, agreement on certain issues had been reached.
“Local Talk” reached out to the Newark Solidarity Coalition to find out which demands were met by Rutgers – Newark. As of press time, there was no response from the coalition’s press representatives.
The Newark Solidarity Coalition were represented by at least six members. The administration had at least three representatives. The meeting was shown on Zoom, with a simultaneous transcript of everything that was said.
At the May 24 meeting, the administration questioned the credentials of the Newark Solidarity Coalition.
“But who do you represent? People outside their data. There’s homeless people in the encampment. There’s no community members,” a Rutgers – Newark administrator said at the meeting.
According to its post on Instagram, the Newark Solidarity Coalition includes Rutgers Students for Justice in Palestine; American Muslims for Palestine; Faculty for Justice in Palestine; Endowment Justice Collective; National Lawyers Guild; Newark Water Coalition; Black Alliance for Peace; Jersey City Food not Bombs; Jewish Voices for Peace North Jersey; Cosecha North Jersey; AFSCME Local 2298; Muslim League of Voters; Jews for Racial and Economic Justice; Zaha Creative Collective.
Newark Solidarity Coalition (NSC) and their allies vehemently disagreed with what the R-N administration said.
“They are students and we are asking you to work with us. … Yes, I represent an organization that serves 25,000 new workers. 75% of them do not have Internet access,” a Newark Solidarity Coalition representative retorted.
During its four visits to the encampment in early and late May, “Local Talk” saw students, representatives from groups allied with NSC; faculty; and community members at the Rutgers Newark Law School encampment. “Local Talk” did not see any homeless people.
According to a May 21 email provided by Senior Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs & Chief of Staff Peter T. Englot, Rutgers Newark has been talking to the Newark Solidarity Coalition for the past three weeks.
Text of Rutgers University Newark letter to Newark Solidarity Coalition
“We have engaged with you in good faith from the outset of your protest three weeks ago to try to address your concerns, so it is disappointing that our good faith is not being reciprocated now with a timely response to our last message to you six days ago, on May 15. Throughout, we have listened with an open mind and have responded earnestly and meaningfully to your concerns. This includes Rutgers’ commitment to assure representation of Newark students in the upcoming meeting between the Endowment Justice Collective, President Holloway, and the chair of the Joint Committee on Investment. It also includes having offered to collaborate going forward on matters of mutual concern including expansion of our Intercultural Resource Center and housing access and affordability in Newark.
“While we remain committed to continuing our conversations with you about these matters, we need you to leave now. We are preparing for our final, academic year-end events for graduating students and their families, as well as forward-looking events for new students and their families, that include use of New Street Plaza.
“As we explained in our last written response to your concerns: the commitments we offer are contingent upon the peaceful and immediate conclusion of the encampment.”
Englot’s letter did not threaten students with disciplinary action or the use of police. In an email to “Local Talk,” Englot said that “Our discussions continue to aim for a peaceful, voluntary decampment.”
According to the Rutgers Newark website, graduation for different schools took place on May 14 and 15 at the Prudential Arena in Newark. The R-N Law School graduation took place on May 24 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. This was the same day that Rutgers administrators met with the Newark Solidarity Coalition for negotiations.
Response of the Newark Solidarity Coalition
At the May 24 meeting, Newark Solidarity Coalition members alleged that the university refused to put their commitments in writing.
“It’s like we said. You know, you are present in the meetings, but I think when it comes having these discussions face to face and having these conversations, it’s not written down on paper,” a Newark Solidarity Coalition representative said.
As the meeting went on, NSC told Rutgers that the university had NSC demands in a packet. The university’s responses were also in the packet.
According to a statement sent by the Newark Solidarity Coalition to “Local Talk”, their demands are:
- Rutgers University must leverage its significant influence and power over the city of Newark to ensure the passage of a ceasefire resolution. This resolution must demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza, call for an end to the genocide, and advocate for the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people.
- As a land-grant institution, Rutgers University has a responsibility to serve its community. Therefore, we demand that Rutgers divest from the apartheid state of Israel and reinvest in the Newark community by allocating 3 to 5 of its properties to establish a Community Land Trust dedicated to providing free public housing.
- Rutgers University must offer free tuition and forgive all outstanding student loan debt for all Newark residents.
- Similarly, NJIT, ECC, and Seton Hall are expected to adopt the measures outlined in demands 2 and 3. This includes divesting from the apartheid state of Israel, reallocating resources to establish Community Land Trusts for free public housing, offering free tuition, and forgiving all outstanding student loan debt for all Newark Residents.
- Rutgers University must commit to monetary support for grassroots organizations as part of its reinvestment efforts in Newark. Furthermore, the Newark Solidarity Coalition should have the authority to oversee and approve the funding allocations to these groups.
- Rutgers Law School – Newark must provide pro bono legal services to all Newark residents earning less than $50,000 as a single-family household. With additional members, further considerations must be applied.
- Rutgers Medical and Dental Schools must offer free health care services to all Newark residents and forgive any existing medical and dental debts owed by Newark residents.
- Rutgers must immediately cease all military recruitment activities on its campuses and use its significant influence and power within the city of Newark to ensure the cessation of military recruitment at all educational institutions in Newark. This includes but is not limited to: all public and private schools, colleges and universities within the greater Newark area.
According to a May 26 online issue of TapInto.net, Englot said that Rutgers offered to collaborate on expanding the Rutgers Intercultural Resource Center, increasing housing access and boosting affordability in Newark.
Just as the Newark Solidarity Coalition issued its demands, Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway testified before the U.S. Congress about antisemitism on campus. Senior Vice Chancellor Peter Englot referred “Local Talk” to the testimony. What follows is taken from President Holloway’s May 23 testimony.
President Holloway’s Written Testimony to U.S. Congress
In his May 23 written testimony to the United States Congress, Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway made a point to explain the importance of what his administration did not do.
“First and foremost, my administration did not agree to divest from companies that do business in Israel.
“Divestment is a Board decision at Rutgers, not a presidential one, but I have nevertheless made very clear to Rutgers students my own viewpoint: I believe the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement is wrong. I think Rutgers’ divestment from Israel would be wrong. I believe strongly that enlightenment comes from involvement and that lasting progress and peace are the outcomes of diplomacy and discussion.
“The students also asked that Rutgers sever its relationship with Tel Aviv University. We will not do that. Period. As one member of our faculty wrote to me, our Israeli colleagues at Tel Aviv University are the last people we should be boycotting. In fact, in a separate joint venture with TAU and Hebrew University, Rutgers will be cosponsoring the US-Israel Alzheimer’s Disease Conference taking place in Tel Aviv this September. Our faculty members leading this project anticipate that the conference will lead to future exchange programs in neuroscience between Rutgers and Israel.”
