UPDATE 5/14 4:50 P.M. -- Cornell University issued a statement in response to the encampment being taken down.  President Martha Pollack said, "While I do not condone the encampment, which was in clear violation of university policies, I want to acknowledge and express gratitude that in contrast to what has taken place at some other universities, the participants here remained peaceful and nonviolent throughout, and for the most part they tried to minimize the disruption caused. With this in mind, and provided no further violations of university policy occur, we are able to pause on issuing additional suspensions and disciplinary referrals."

The full statement can be found here.

ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- After eighteen days, the encampment protest at Cornell University is coming to an end.  The encampment was set up by the Coalition for Mutual Liberation, in protest of the war in Gaza.  The coalition has also been actively calling on the university administration to divest from companies that support Israel's military efforts in the region.

"It's coming down because we wanted to take this into our control. We want to be the ones who are setting the...we are making the choices, and we don't want to be at the whim of the administration. So this is us being like, this is our choice. We're taking this down. It will give us an opportunity to regroup, refocus, restructure, potentially in preparation for next fall," said Sivan Gordon-Buxbaum, a Cornell student and member of Jewish Voices for Peace.

The decision comes after ongoing negotiations between the Coalition for Mutual Liberation and Cornell University Administration.  The coalition said they met with Cornell President Martha Pollack last week, where the coalition said Pollack said "divestment is impossible."

"[The negotiations are] moving slowly, but it's moving, and I think that's what's really important, and it's sometimes it's hard to remember that changes like the ones we're asking do take time," added Gordon-Buxbaum.

As for Cornell University, they have not released any statements recently.  On April 29th, they released a statement saying this in part:

"Our content-neutral time, place, and manner rules exist for a purpose. They guide expressive activity on our campus so that one's speech does not suppress or otherwise limit another's. And it's important to understand that the current encampment doesn't only violate the rules per se, but it also causes the very kind of disruption that the rules are intended to protect against: the noise from the associated rallies can be heard in classrooms on the Arts Quad and the encampment has displaced other previously registered events on the Arts Quad. Finally, as this encampment continues over multiple days, it is diverting substantial public safety and student life staff and resources from other important matters."

The Coalition for Mutual Liberation also held a vigil for the lives lost in Rafah.  More than 200 people attended the event on Cornell's Campus.

Cornell University is expected to give another statement on this situation sometime soon.