USC president to meet with Pro-Palestinian protest organizers for 2nd consecutive day

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Organizers of the pro-Palestinian protests at USC are set to meet with USC President Carol Folt Tuesday for the second consecutive day.

Four students accompanied by law professor Jody David Armour met with USC President Carol Folt Monday for just over an hour.

"The students said at the end they wouldn't have considered this meeting a win from their perspective, and I can fully appreciate that," said Folt in a statement Monday. "For me, the most important point was that we were starting to talk, and I think that was vital. I felt like they were being honest and telling me how they felt, which was very meaningful."

The recent protests come days after USC decided to cancel the commencement speech by valedictorian Asna Tabassum. She had generated criticism after linking to online posts by Palestinian groups that were seen as antisemitic. USC said it canceled her speech because of safety and security concerns.

The school later released all of its outside speakers and honorees from attending the main commencement ceremony and then - the day after the protest - decided to cancel the main commencement ceremony altogether.

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"It was a real effort by the president to hear the students, and one of the points the president made when she sat down to the table was that it's important that we follow the rules," said Armour about Monday's meeting. "One of the responses from the students was, 'Well, you didn't follow the rules yourself. You're not one to lecture us on following rules when you didn't follow them with respect of Asna Tabassum.'"

The escalation of demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war that have spread to college campuses across the U.S. Israel and its supporters have branded the university protests as antisemitic, while critics of Israel say it uses such allegations to silence opponents. The Israeli American Council, along with several other Jewish organizations, had sponsored a late-morning rally Sunday to show support for Jewish students.

Student protesters have said they will move their encampment set up at USC's Alumni Park before finals and graduation if their demands are met.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.