submitted anonymously –
The news is everywhere now, The Evergreen State College has divested from Israel! But what is being repeated is a flat out lie. Evergreen has not divested, but the negotiators of the camp capitulated and signed a nonbinding agreement to form disappearing task forces to make suggestions in a timeline of months and years. This has been spun as a victory, whether its because they truly believe that this time, because it’s their people on these toothless taskforces or because they just desperately needed something called a win under their belt to present themselves in the future as Accomplished Organizers (TM), who knows but it matters not.
But worse, not only are they patting their back over a false victory, this lie has spread far and wide and into other organizing spaces and encampments. To fuck your own struggle is one thing, to give false information to other people in struggle is unforgivable. Perhaps they didn’t think about how these aren’t isolated struggles but a connected front in the war in communication and looking to each other for example and inspiration, perhaps they didn’t care. We can only hope others see the bullshit for what it is and continue to fight until REAL, MATERIAL VICTORY.
But they were right about one thing, the struggle continues though certainly not by them. Evergreen is still invested in apartheid, still has zionist classes, the city of Olympia is still invested (and unlike these Organizers we are not trying to affirm the position of Student but tear it down and recognize there is no distinction between On Campus and In Town except that our enemies try to impose upon us). Where do we go from here? That’s the question we have all been discussing since. For now, there are some possibilities but not a lot of answers. Some experiments are in the work.
At this point, this is all I have to say. I would like to include below the text from a few pieces that have come out elaborating on this false victory.
Half struggles only teach us to lose.
May we take the hard road and learn how to win.
The risks are worth it.
(A)
WHAT WAS JUST SIGNED IN RESPONSE TO THE “GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT” AT THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE
Hint: It is NOT anything resembling Evergreen successfully divesting!!!!
“The Evergreen State College administration has been good at co-opting and redirecting protests away from demands and towards further and endless discussing of the underlying issues without making significant changes. A common tactic by the Evergreen administration is to set up a task force called a DTF [Disappearing Task Force] where students have a token representation or the administration selects students who will go along with objectives of the Evergreen administration even if they conflict with justice or real student power.”
A translation of the legal speak that was a result of the negotiations with administration:
The college will create four committees made of students, staff and faculty with chairs, co-chairs and quarterly reports. The committees will go through long bureaucratic processes that take years and IF any policy changes result from their suggestions at the end, and IF those policy changes are ever adopted, a similar process would need to happen to repeal them. None of these policies are binding.
The four disappearing task forces that have been created and are:
1. Investment – a committee “charged with proposing revisions to investment policy including new proposed language on socially responsible investments/divestments”. They will then recommend, according to their definitions, what “socially responsible” investments and divestments are by Fall 2024. Their recommendations will be considered in 2025 and if any are adopted they would be fully implemented in 2026. The college is not a moral entity and will not care what is socially responsible, it is a business and will do what it profitable unless it feels pressured to do otherwise.
2. Grants Acceptance Policy DTF – this committee makes non-binding recommendations about what grants should and shouldn’t be accepted.
3. Civilian Oversight of Police DTF – the purpose of this committee is to suggest a new review board structure to the police on campus. They can recommend lots of stuff, and the college will support students in going to a conference where they can learn about more stuff to suggest. Their recommendations IF accepted would be implemented by 2026. LEAVING PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE POLICE TO BE MILITARIZED, COMMIT VIOLENCE, AND SIGN A CONTRACT THAT MAINTAINS THEIR RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED ASSAULT RIFLES. Even if an oversight board is created, it can be peeled back as it was in 2017. Oversight does not stop police violence, as only the elimination of police on campus would.
4. Alternative Models of Crisis Response DTF – this committee would suggest non police crisis response for medical care and de-escalation. Full implementation of any recommendation would happen by 2030.
But Wait!!!! That’s not all!!! In addition to creating these committees that are likely to have no impact, the college will also SEND AN EMAIL!!! about how the genocide is upsetting. So progressive.
What else? The negotiated agreements also touch on:
Study Abroad: This section basically says “no travel abroad to a war zone while a war is happening”.
And of course…Kicking out the encampment/”reconciliation”: May 1st at 5pm all students and trash must be removed. If any students do not agree to exchanging these weak demands for leaving, they will be repressed.
DO NOT ACCEPT THIS CYCLE OF THE COLLEGE WINNING ITS ABILITY TO DIFFUSE REBELLION, RESISTANCE AND STUDENT/PEOPLE POWER SO EASILY! DO NOT ACCEPT THESE DEMANDS AS VICTORY, DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU EVERGREEN HAS DIVESTED, THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE AND UTTER LIE
WE WILL CONTINUE TO ESCALATE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACT, UNTIL WE FORCE THE COLLEGE INTO ACTUAL MATERIAL AND URGENT CONCESSIONS FOR PALESTINE, AGAINST THE ACCEPTANCE OF MILITARIZED POLICE
WE REMEMBER THE TWO STUDENTS VOTES THAT OVERWHELMINGLY DEMANDED THE COLLEGE DIVEST FROM ISRAEL, WE REMEMBER THE DISAPPEARING TASK FORCES ABOUT THE EVERGREEN POLICE THAT DID NOTHING. WE DO NOT ACCEPT TO BE PLACATED BY THESE DEMANDS.
From an Anonymous Lawyer Speaking about the Failure of the MOU:
TESC Divests? Not Really At All.
D.C.
May 2, 2024
Yesterday, the Cooper Point Journal ran a story with the headline: “TESC AGREES TO DIVESTMENT: Greeners say ‘The Struggle Continues!’” In uncritical, triumphalist language, the article summarizes the terms of a supposed agreement entered into between four individuals claiming to represent the “Evergreen Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and TESC.
Despite the article’s claim that the agreement represents “won divestment processes”, the document really doesn’t do anything – and it certainly does not mean TESC will divest its investments from the State of Israel or the Israeli, American, and international companies that enable the genocide in Palestine.
To focus on what real and/or legal effect this agreement could possibly have, we’ll have to set aside a few issues like how the “Duly Authorized Student Representatives” came to represent the camp, etc. Taking the agreement at face value, does it even accomplish what it set out to? In a word, No. The agreement merely creates an “Investment Policy Disappearing Task Force” that is “charged with proposing revisions to investment policies.” The task force will “address divestment from companies that profit from gross human rights violations and/or the occupation of Palestinian territories.” Ultimately, the task force will only gather information and “complete a recommendation.” These are just vague and unenforceable promises, and TESC will be free to ignore whatever the task force does. The agreement does not contain any specific, concrete commitment to divest.
The ability to “propose revisions” and to “address divestment” is nothing the movement doesn’t already have. We don’t need to wait years to make our recommendation – it’s already clear: We want TESC to stop providing direct or even indirect financial support for American and Israeli wars, and specifically the genocide happening in Gaza right now. TESC has the information it needs to make this happen. It can and should identify its own investments and eliminate the ones that profit from the ongoing crisis in Israel and Palestine.
Why is this agreement so bad for us? Well, the whole point of the farce is to mollify the movement. The Investment Policy Disappearing Task Force lacks power and authority by design. And it’s shocking the Cooper Point Journal article uncritically praises the agreement. TESC’s way of killing student activity by creating dead end task forces is well-developed at this point. As Peter Boehmer observed in an article he published in last year (coincidentally one day before October 7):
A common tactic by the Evergreen administration is to set up a task force called a DTF (Disappearing Task Force), where students have a token representation or the administration selects students who will go along with the objectives of the Evergreen administration even if they conflict with justice or real student power.
The Cooper Point Journal article quotes an unidentified student who said, “this is the beginning not the end.” But we know the opposite is true. By negotiating the end of the encampment in exchange for a nebulous task force that could only ever make mere recommendations, the four representatives bargained away what leverage the movement made this week and only got indefinite and unenforceable promises. This is an unqualified victory for TESC, which got the pacification they wanted and keeps complete control over its investments.
It’s an unqualified loss for the movement against genocide.
submitted anonymously –
The news is everywhere now, The Evergreen State College has divested from Israel! But what is being repeated is a flat out lie. Evergreen has not divested, but the negotiators of the camp capitulated and signed a nonbinding agreement to form disappearing task forces to make suggestions in a timeline of months and years. This has been spun as a victory, whether its because they truly believe that this time, because it’s their people on these toothless taskforces or because they just desperately needed something called a win under their belt to present themselves in the future as Accomplished Organizers (TM), who knows but it matters not.
But worse, not only are they patting their back over a false victory, this lie has spread far and wide and into other organizing spaces and encampments. To fuck your own struggle is one thing, to give false information to other people in struggle is unforgivable. Perhaps they didn’t think about how these aren’t isolated struggles but a connected front in the war in communication and looking to each other for example and inspiration, perhaps they didn’t care. We can only hope others see the bullshit for what it is and continue to fight until REAL, MATERIAL VICTORY.
But they were right about one thing, the struggle continues though certainly not by them. Evergreen is still invested in apartheid, still has zionist classes, the city of Olympia is still invested (and unlike these Organizers we are not trying to affirm the position of Student but tear it down and recognize there is no distinction between On Campus and In Town except that our enemies try to impose upon us). Where do we go from here? That’s the question we have all been discussing since. For now, there are some possibilities but not a lot of answers. Some experiments are in the work.
At this point, this is all I have to say. I would like to include below the text from a few pieces that have come out elaborating on this false victory.
Half struggles only teach us to lose.
May we take the hard road and learn how to win.
The risks are worth it.
(A)
WHAT WAS JUST SIGNED IN RESPONSE TO THE “GAZA SOLIDARITY ENCAMPMENT” AT THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE
Hint: It is NOT anything resembling Evergreen successfully divesting!!!!
“The Evergreen State College administration has been good at co-opting and redirecting protests away from demands and towards further and endless discussing of the underlying issues without making significant changes. A common tactic by the Evergreen administration is to set up a task force called a DTF [Disappearing Task Force] where students have a token representation or the administration selects students who will go along with objectives of the Evergreen administration even if they conflict with justice or real student power.”
A translation of the legal speak that was a result of the negotiations with administration:
The college will create four committees made of students, staff and faculty with chairs, co-chairs and quarterly reports. The committees will go through long bureaucratic processes that take years and IF any policy changes result from their suggestions at the end, and IF those policy changes are ever adopted, a similar process would need to happen to repeal them. None of these policies are binding.
The four disappearing task forces that have been created and are:
1. Investment – a committee “charged with proposing revisions to investment policy including new proposed language on socially responsible investments/divestments”. They will then recommend, according to their definitions, what “socially responsible” investments and divestments are by Fall 2024. Their recommendations will be considered in 2025 and if any are adopted they would be fully implemented in 2026. The college is not a moral entity and will not care what is socially responsible, it is a business and will do what it profitable unless it feels pressured to do otherwise.
2. Grants Acceptance Policy DTF – this committee makes non-binding recommendations about what grants should and shouldn’t be accepted.
3. Civilian Oversight of Police DTF – the purpose of this committee is to suggest a new review board structure to the police on campus. They can recommend lots of stuff, and the college will support students in going to a conference where they can learn about more stuff to suggest. Their recommendations IF accepted would be implemented by 2026. LEAVING PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE POLICE TO BE MILITARIZED, COMMIT VIOLENCE, AND SIGN A CONTRACT THAT MAINTAINS THEIR RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED ASSAULT RIFLES. Even if an oversight board is created, it can be peeled back as it was in 2017. Oversight does not stop police violence, as only the elimination of police on campus would.
4. Alternative Models of Crisis Response DTF – this committee would suggest non police crisis response for medical care and de-escalation. Full implementation of any recommendation would happen by 2030.
But Wait!!!! That’s not all!!! In addition to creating these committees that are likely to have no impact, the college will also SEND AN EMAIL!!! about how the genocide is upsetting. So progressive.
What else? The negotiated agreements also touch on:
Study Abroad: This section basically says “no travel abroad to a war zone while a war is happening”.
And of course…Kicking out the encampment/”reconciliation”: May 1st at 5pm all students and trash must be removed. If any students do not agree to exchanging these weak demands for leaving, they will be repressed.
DO NOT ACCEPT THIS CYCLE OF THE COLLEGE WINNING ITS ABILITY TO DIFFUSE REBELLION, RESISTANCE AND STUDENT/PEOPLE POWER SO EASILY! DO NOT ACCEPT THESE DEMANDS AS VICTORY, DO NOT BELIEVE ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU EVERGREEN HAS DIVESTED, THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE AND UTTER LIE
WE WILL CONTINUE TO ESCALATE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACT, UNTIL WE FORCE THE COLLEGE INTO ACTUAL MATERIAL AND URGENT CONCESSIONS FOR PALESTINE, AGAINST THE ACCEPTANCE OF MILITARIZED POLICE
WE REMEMBER THE TWO STUDENTS VOTES THAT OVERWHELMINGLY DEMANDED THE COLLEGE DIVEST FROM ISRAEL, WE REMEMBER THE DISAPPEARING TASK FORCES ABOUT THE EVERGREEN POLICE THAT DID NOTHING. WE DO NOT ACCEPT TO BE PLACATED BY THESE DEMANDS.
From an Anonymous Lawyer Speaking about the Failure of the MOU:
TESC Divests? Not Really At All.
D.C.
May 2, 2024
Yesterday, the Cooper Point Journal ran a story with the headline: “TESC AGREES TO DIVESTMENT: Greeners say ‘The Struggle Continues!’” In uncritical, triumphalist language, the article summarizes the terms of a supposed agreement entered into between four individuals claiming to represent the “Evergreen Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and TESC.
Despite the article’s claim that the agreement represents “won divestment processes”, the document really doesn’t do anything – and it certainly does not mean TESC will divest its investments from the State of Israel or the Israeli, American, and international companies that enable the genocide in Palestine.
To focus on what real and/or legal effect this agreement could possibly have, we’ll have to set aside a few issues like how the “Duly Authorized Student Representatives” came to represent the camp, etc. Taking the agreement at face value, does it even accomplish what it set out to? In a word, No. The agreement merely creates an “Investment Policy Disappearing Task Force” that is “charged with proposing revisions to investment policies.” The task force will “address divestment from companies that profit from gross human rights violations and/or the occupation of Palestinian territories.” Ultimately, the task force will only gather information and “complete a recommendation.” These are just vague and unenforceable promises, and TESC will be free to ignore whatever the task force does. The agreement does not contain any specific, concrete commitment to divest.
The ability to “propose revisions” and to “address divestment” is nothing the movement doesn’t already have. We don’t need to wait years to make our recommendation – it’s already clear: We want TESC to stop providing direct or even indirect financial support for American and Israeli wars, and specifically the genocide happening in Gaza right now. TESC has the information it needs to make this happen. It can and should identify its own investments and eliminate the ones that profit from the ongoing crisis in Israel and Palestine.
Why is this agreement so bad for us? Well, the whole point of the farce is to mollify the movement. The Investment Policy Disappearing Task Force lacks power and authority by design. And it’s shocking the Cooper Point Journal article uncritically praises the agreement. TESC’s way of killing student activity by creating dead end task forces is well-developed at this point. As Peter Boehmer observed in an article he published in last year (coincidentally one day before October 7):
A common tactic by the Evergreen administration is to set up a task force called a DTF (Disappearing Task Force), where students have a token representation or the administration selects students who will go along with the objectives of the Evergreen administration even if they conflict with justice or real student power.
The Cooper Point Journal article quotes an unidentified student who said, “this is the beginning not the end.” But we know the opposite is true. By negotiating the end of the encampment in exchange for a nebulous task force that could only ever make mere recommendations, the four representatives bargained away what leverage the movement made this week and only got indefinite and unenforceable promises. This is an unqualified victory for TESC, which got the pacification they wanted and keeps complete control over its investments.
It’s an unqualified loss for the movement against genocide.