Chicago, IL – In the early morning of Thursday, November 13, dozens of student and union activists demonstrated outside of the UIC Dorin Forum in Chicago to demand that the University of Illinois (U of I) System Board of Trustees increase funding for cultural centers and divest from the genocidal state of Israel. The U of I System encompasses three universities – the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Illinois Springfield.

Loud chants of “Cultural centers we demand! No more funding stolen land!” and “UIC don’t comply! We’re defending DEI!” could be heard from within the administration’s meeting and in the surrounding areas.

This protest was called for by New Students for a Democratic Society (New SDS) at UIC and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Chicago. Campus-based labor activists from Housing Staff United at UIC (OPEIU Local 39), Graduate Employees Organization at UIC (Local 6297), and UIC United Faculty (Local 6456) were also present and joined the demonstration.

Speakers called out the U of I system’s hypocrisy in claiming to be a progressive institution while at the same time slashing funding for the seven cultural centers at UIC, continually investing in companies complicit in the genocide in Palestine, eliminating the office of DEI, and removing considerations of race and gender in admissions, scholarships and financial aid.

Numerous demonstrators were denied entry into the public meeting after rallying in the cold for two hours on the bogus basis that the meeting was at capacity. Upon further investigation the activists learned that the meeting space taken up by administrators, not public attendees.

Ariana Vega, one of the co-chairs of New SDS at UIC, gave public comment at the U of I System Board of Trustees meeting to make the students’ demands crystal clear to administration.

“You all said that you would be there for your students and our communities – but why is it that we never get the chance to meet with Chancellor Miranda? Does that only apply to homecoming celebrations? New SDS at UIC has made multiple attempts to meet with Chancellor Miranda – and every time she was not present,” said Vega.

Vega continued, “We had a meeting with representatives from the administration, and she was not there. We went to her office to deliver our open letter, and she was not there. And today, students were outside in the freezing cold trying to make you all listen.”

“Increase funding for cultural centers, sit down with students at a community-led town hall, and divest from the genocide in Palestine!”

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #SDS #AntiWarMovement #Palestine