Cal Poly Humboldt students face repression after sit-in
Arcata, CA – Students at Cal Poly Humboldt are speaking out after a series of protests led to a sweeping crackdown by the university administration.
The protests began on February 20 when students held a sit-in demanding that the university divest from Israel and investments connected to war, adopt a real sanctuary campus policy protecting immigrant students from ICE, and publicly support striking Teamsters workers across the California State University system. The action forced administrators to agree to hold a public forum where students could present their demands.
In the days leading up to the February 27 forum, however, the administration attempted to undermine the agreement. Administrators rebranded the forum as a “listening session,” shifting the focus away from responding to demands and toward presenting the university’s own narrative. The administration also attempted to move the event away from the highly visible SAC Quad to a more secluded indoor location to avoid public accountability.
At the forum itself, Associate Vice President Mike Fisher served as the administration’s primary representative. Students presented their demands and pressed the administration for clear commitments, but Fisher failed to address the demands or even take them seriously. Instead, he gave a series of carefully crafted non-answers that only infuriated the students who had come to negotiate.
“When students speak about genocide, immigrant repression, and the exploitation of workers, the administration responds with excuses and empty talking points,” said Students for a Democratic Society Humboldt member Ryan Littleton.
After the admin ended the forum early, students marched to the Main Quad and began another sit-in. The protest then moved into Nelson Hall, where students conducted sit-in inside Goodwin Forum.
The administrators escalated the situation immediately. Shortly after the sit-in began, bathrooms throughout the building were locked, forcing students to use buckets. Administrators initially denied responsibility, claiming the bathrooms lock automatically, even though students observed staff locking them minutes after the sit-in began. Administrators also physically intervened to prevent food and water from reaching students inside the building and manhandled students in the process.
Late that night, after protesters had remained inside Nelson Hall for hours, the university called in the Arcata Police Department. Officers visibly equipped with pepper ball launchers surrounded the building and issued threats over loudspeakers demanding that protesters leave or face arrest and the use of force that “could likely result in serious injury.” Power to the building was cut before protesters ultimately escaped together, avoiding arrests.
After the protest, the university launched a campaign of retaliation against students. The administration has now brought private security contractors onto campus who have been harassing students, racially profiling them, and attempting to identify participants in the protest.
Several students have been issued conduct charges and placed on interim suspension, and so far, they are all students who were not even participating in the sit-in but were simply outside the building. The suspensions have had immediate consequences. Some students have reportedly lost campus jobs and have been banned from attending classes or entering campus spaces.
One of the students targeted is SDS Humboldt organizer Rick Toledo, who has been charged with “assault.” The charge stems from Toledo placing himself between an administrator and students who were attempting to bring food and water to protesters inside Nelson Hall. Toledo stood with his back turned and arms outstretched and did not physically touch anyone.
“The administration has ignored serious cases of assault on this campus before, especially involving athletics,” Toledo said. “But when a student stands up to ensure food and water can reach fellow students, suddenly they invent an assault charge for political purposes.”
Students also criticized the university’s spending priorities. Rick says SDS Humboldt has pushed the administration for years to fund accessibility improvements on campus, and they have repeatedly been told that there is no money available.
“But the moment students protested, they suddenly had money to hire private security goons to harass students,” Toledo said.
SDS Humboldt is demanding that Cal Poly Humboldt immediately drop the charges against Rick Toledo and the other students facing discipline and lift all interim suspensions.
“Interim suspension is supposed to be used only when someone poses an immediate threat to the safety of others,” Rick Toledo. “Using it against protesters is a disgusting abuse of power.”
SDS Humboldt says the struggle is far from over.
“Any student with a conscience should oppose the genocide of Palestinians and the violence of ICE,” said a student organizer.. “We took action because Palestinians have nowhere safe to go while our government funds their destruction. The administration can threaten us, suspend us, and try to silence us—but we will continue organizing until justice is won.”