By Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

A year after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, about 100 students from The Claremont Colleges held a divestment rally that eventually led to the occupation of Carnegie Hall at Pomona College on Monday. For months, student protesters have demanded that Pomona College divest from companies they say fund Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Just after 10 a.m. Monday, students walked out of class and converged at the intersection of Sixth Street and north College Avenue to demonstrate, chanting and holding signs in support of divestment and the people of Gaza. About 30 minutes later, students moved to the steps of Carnegie. Occupation began just after 11 a.m. A video taken at 11:19 a.m. showed at least two students using a window to escape a first-floor classroom before it was occupied by demonstrators.

A student blocks the west entrance of Pomona College’s Carnegie Building to people not affiliated with the colleges. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

Once inside, demonstrators used signs to obscure windows on the east side of the building, and one student blocked the west entrance to persons not affiliated with the colleges, while another person zip-tied the building’s north exit. Photos showed the Arabic word “INTIFADA” graffitied in red paint in a hall and elevator. The word often refers to one of two Palestinian uprisings, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Another photo showed high school students, part of Pomona College’s fall Perspectives on Pomona program, inside a classroom. An email from the college stated that demonstrators also destroyed audio-visual equipment.

The Arabic word “INTIFADA” is graffitied in red paint in a hallway at Pomona College’s Carnegie Building Monday. The word often refers to one of two Palestinian uprisings, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Photo/courtesy of Emilio Bankier, Pomona College

Two Jewish students, Julia Eason, a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College, and Joshua Marx, a freshman at Pomona, maneuvered past protesters to access the main lobby. Marx entered the building hoping to speak with protesters to understand their perspective, but said protesters did not really engage with him.

“They said, ‘Next time, can you not try to promote dialog during an activism?’ And I don’t really understand why they would ask that,” he said. “Maybe it’s ‘cause they still think I’m trying to mess with them, but like, I wasn’t really trying to mess with them, I was trying to learn.”

Eason said as she was inside, demonstrators questioned her presence. “I was just standing there saying nothing to anybody and they were like, ‘Are you a Zionist? Why are you here? What’s your business here?’ And it was just very scary that people would single me out on the basis of my religious beliefs, you know, because I am a quote-unquote Zionist. I’m not allowed to be in a public building at this time.

“I think that it was important for me to see,” Eason added. “I just hope that the people who are partaking in these events can find it within themselves to look back on the horrific events that happened a year ago today for the Jewish community and find it in their hearts to empathize with us on that fact, as well as pushing for whatever cause they’re trying to promote today.

“This is America. I’m all for free speech and you know, people have the right to protest,” Eason said. “But I just wish that some people would understand the significance of this day and maybe look a little bit more into the history in that region because I think a lot of them just, you know, see stuff on TikTok or Instagram, just kind of roll with it and it’s not giving them really a well-rounded perspective.”

A 1:28 p.m. email from Pomona College read in part, “What started as a peaceful protest this morning has now turned into a subset of individuals currently taking over Carnegie Hall and disrupting academic continuity. Carnegie Hall is now closed, and all individuals should leave that building.”

In a still image taken from a 11:19 a.m. video, Claremont College students use a window to escape a first-floor classroom before it was occupied by demonstrators Monday. Photo/courtesy of Emilio Bankier, Pomona College

The email went on to advise all to “please stay away from Carnegie and its immediate surrounding area, to ensure everyone’s safety. We will not permit the presence of masked, unidentified individuals on our campus refusing to show identification when asked. Nor will we stand for the takeover of buildings and the disruption of academic continuity — all of which happened today. Anyone involved in this disruption is subject to disciplinary action.

“We uphold the right to free speech and to protest within the lines of our long-established Claremont Colleges demonstration policy,” it continued. “As always, peaceful protest is allowed within demonstration policy. This action goes beyond policy.”

Demonstrators exited Carnegie before 4 p.m. No arrests were reported.

A 5:21 p.m. email from Pomona College described the takeover as “disgraceful, especially on this day of mourning.”

Signs litter the east entrance of Pomona College’s Carnegie Building. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

“This is a community of learning, and when individuals violate the rights of others to learn, or to teach, or simply to do their jobs, there are consequences. We will not permit individuals, whether our students or others, to violate our policies and our community,” it read. “We have initial identification of several people involved, including a number of individuals from other campuses. As we identify others, disciplinary letters will be sent on a rolling basis. The individuals responsible face sanctions that may include restitution, suspension, expulsion, as well as being banned from campus. We will not, however, be commenting on individual cases.”

The email also indicated that Carnegie Hall would remain closed and that classes would be relocated.

During Monday’s demonstration, two demonstrators asked to speak with the Courier, but on the condition of anonymity. Both requests were denied.

Monday’s occupation came six months after students staged a sit-in at Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr’s office in Alexander Hall. That April 5 protest led to the arrest of 20 students: 19 for misdemeanor trespassing and another, whose charge was dropped, for misdemeanor delaying or obstructing a law enforcement officer. The trespassing cases are still winding through the legal system.

On Wednesday, Bowman Cutter, an associate professor in economics at Pomona College, shared his experience inside Carnegie Hall during Monday’s protest. Cutter said he saw a campus safety officer get pushed by protesters.

“They were grabbing and pushing her and I think somebody grabbed her radio. It looked like she went into the wall as well,” he said.

Later, he said he saw Tracy Arwari, Pomona College Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students for Academic and Personal Success, get pushed over.

“The first time, they just kind of lowered their shoulder, bouldered over Tracy,” Cutter said. “That first kid who came through just, full elbow check, shoulder down, bashed her straight into the door, in that middle post between the doors there. [I’m] just surprised she didn’t break an arm or something, I mean it was really hard. It was really violent and it was bad intentions with that elbow.”

Cutter said he saw another student attempt to bulldoze another colleague. After the incident, he filed a report with the Claremont Police Department.