Students at University of Louisville Stage Encampment

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On October 13, students at the University of Louisville set up an encampment in front of the university library, dubbed the “Maryam Abu Daqqa Liberated Zone”—named after Palestinian journalist Maryam Abu Daqqa, who was killed by Israel on August 25th, 2025. The action aimed to present students’ demands to the administration: for the university to disclose and divest from any and all investments it has with Israeli firms and other entities complicit in the US-Israel genocide and displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.

Around twenty students began setting up the encampment around 7am but were quickly forced to disperse by university police. They were told they were violating a statute forbidding “unlawful camping”, that was only put in place last summer in the midst of the first wave of student encampments for Palestine across the country. The students retreated and called for a rally at noon the same day to gather more forces.

More students and community members, including defendants and lawyers part of the “Raytheon 5” court case, gathered in front of the student activities center. The protesters delivered speeches and chants demanding UofL divest from businesses tied to Israel, particularly weapons manufacturers. The protesters then marched through campus, back to the site of the initial encampment that morning. Students again occupied the space and began to set up an encampment again, locking arms in defiance. This was met with a larger police response, as officers dismantled tents being set up. During this second attempt, university police arrested one student with a charge of disorderly conduct.

The encampment follows a series of student actions in solidarity with Palestine during the Louisville Students for Justice in Palestine (LSJP) “Week of Rage”—a week of actions taken to mark two years since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the escalated genocide in response. On October 8, LSJP held a “People’s Tribunal” on campus where students condemned university administrators in a mock trial, to protest the administration’s complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The next day, LSJP held a vigil for the Palestinians killed in the genocide, which was heavily monitored by university police. On October 10, protesters gathered outside the inauguration of University of Louisville President Gerry Bradley. Inside the inauguration, several students raised Palestinian flags and keffiyehs during the ceremony, denouncing the university president for failing to meet with students and hear their demands. The protesters were escorted out of the ceremony and issued citations.

One LSJP organizer told The Worker, “The Week of Rage was intended for the administration and president to be forced to hear our voices when our previous requests for communication were ignored. The culmination of that week into [the encampment on] Monday and the repression that followed means they recognize our power. They recognize that in a university that continues to do away with the rights of its students, academics, and workers, that SJP is one organization among many that challenge the corruption of the university and the undemocratic nature of the Board of Trustees.”

Following the encampment, the university placed LSJP on interim suspension as a registered student organization. One student has been banned from the university, along with one community member, and seven students have been issued citations.

The repression has not stopped students from escalating their campaign for divestment. In a statement about their actions, LSJP wrote on social media, “Despite the repression, the community remains steadfast in our support for one another and enjoyed a day of meaningful discussion, creating art, and reminding ourselves why we fight: for a free Palestine, from the river to the sea!”

Photo: A tent set up on Monday morning on campus declaring the “Mayram Abu Daqqa Liberation Zone”. Credit: Johhan Albertriose

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