On a sunny Thursday afternoon earlier this month, about 100 students gathered outside the Dodd Center for Human Rights on the University of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 campus in Storrs for a press conference.
While most of the school鈥檚 nearly 20,000 undergraduates were clearing out dorm rooms and posing for graduation photos in their caps and gowns, the impassioned group chanted in unison for an end to the war in Gaza. Days earlier, UConn leaders had cleared a cluster of tents where the protesters were camped out, and university police .
One by one, several students stepped up to a microphone and denounced the arrests as well as Israel鈥檚 campaign in Gaza, calling again on their university leaders to divest from the military manufacturers supplying Israeli Defense Forces with weapons.
鈥淩ecent actions taken by the university have unfortunately shown that the administration cares more about appeasing big dollar donors and multinational corporations than the students, staff and faculty of this university,鈥� said Adam Opin, the only undergraduate speaker that day who publicly shared his name.
This spring, as anti-war protesters pitched tents and occupied buildings on college campuses across the United States, the groups coalesced around a similar set of 鈥渄emands鈥� 鈥� conditions they said their institutions would have to meet in order for the students to vacate common spaces. Prominent among those demands was the insistence that college and university administrators disclose details about their endowment investments and divest funds from companies supporting Israel鈥檚 military operations.
Student groups have deployed the strategy in 黑料吃瓜网 before, and it鈥檚 worked. In 1986, the UConn board of trustees sold stock in companies in response to student protests of apartheid. In 2006, Yale University pledged to divest from the Sudanese government and in several oil companies operating there, citing the . More recently, Yale has set in order to maintain the university鈥檚 endowment investments, and it has canceled investments in and .
But divesting from military manufacturers is a line 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 prominent institutions of higher education don鈥檛 seem inclined to cross.
Last month, the Yale Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility said the military weapons industry didn鈥檛 meet the board of trustees鈥� criteria for divestment 鈥� 鈥� because the manufacturers offer 鈥渟ocially necessary鈥� products that support national security and policing.
A representative of the UConn Foundation, which administers the university鈥檚 endowment, said in an emailed statement that its investments 鈥渁re made through broadly diversified co-mingled funds managed by third-party investment managers. A survey of those holdings for the broad array of companies that may have defense, security, or aerospace divisions has not been undertaken.鈥�
In reality, it鈥檚 even more complicated than that. For the flagship university in a state where defense manufacturers account for a significant portion of the economy and employ tens of thousands of highly skilled workers 鈥� many of whom were trained in 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 public post-secondary institutions 鈥� divestment would mean more than selling a few shares of stock.
The state鈥檚 top three military manufacturers 鈥� General Dynamics Electric Boat, RTX鈥檚 Pratt & Whitney and Lockheed Martin鈥檚 Sikorsky 鈥� drew more than $20 billion in federal defense spending in 2022. 黑料吃瓜网 ranked seventh among states for total military spending and third in spending as a percentage of GDP (behind Virginia and Hawaii).
State and Congressional leaders Electric Boat鈥檚 gargantuan nuclear submarines; Sikorsky鈥檚 iconic 鈥淏lack Hawk鈥� attack helicopters; and Pratt & Whitney鈥檚 F135 engines, which power the F-35 strike fighter jet. All are made in 黑料吃瓜网, all for the U.S. military and its allies.
鈥淒efense manufacturers form the backbone of the 黑料吃瓜网 state economy,鈥� U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, whose district encompasses major operations of Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney, said in response to emailed questions. 鈥淭he good paying union jobs that the defense sector provides are key to the economic security of thousands of individuals and families in 黑料吃瓜网 and across the United States.鈥�
In remarks at an event last year celebrating Sikorsky鈥檚 100th anniversary, Gov. Ned Lamont commended the company鈥檚 engineers.
鈥淭he precision of manufacturing in the 21st century by Sikorsky is second-to-none,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y obligation is to make sure we continue to train those people right here, to make sure you remain part of this great ecosystem.鈥�
Pro-Palestinian student demonstrators would like to see that sense of 鈥渙bligation鈥� come to an end.
At the press conference, one young woman 鈥� representing a leftist student group known as UNCHAIN, which has pushed UConn to cut its ties with the defense industry 鈥� shared pointed comments (but declined to share her name). 鈥淲ar makers must hunt for well-trained industrial foot soldiers, and they look at us, the students of UConn, as their prey,鈥� the woman said. 鈥淲e implore the UConn administration: Do not further sell education to arms dealers.鈥�
Moments later, as the final speaker wrapped up his comments 鈥� and as if on cue 鈥� what appeared to be a military helicopter fluttered over the Dodd Center plaza. The students laughed in disbelief, 鈥渂ooed鈥� the aircraft then launched into an impromptu chant: 鈥淪hame on Sikorsky, shame on Sikorsky.鈥�
In an emailed statement, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson wrote, "We will continue to support organizations and initiatives that help educate and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians. We respect the right to peaceful protest and are committed to advancing STEM education and career readiness, including through partnerships with colleges and universities.鈥�
'The Provisions State'
From its earliest days, 黑料吃瓜网 has proudly claimed its role as a key weapons supplier to America鈥檚 armed conflicts: First as the 鈥淧rovisions State,鈥� when it delivered arms to George Washington鈥檚 Army during the Revolutionary War, and later as the 鈥淎rsenal of Democracy,鈥� providing weaponry to U.S. military campaigns during the first and second World Wars.
That arsenal has included operations of prominent gunmakers like Smith & Wesson Brands, Remington Arms Co., O.F. Mossberg & Sons and the iconic Colt鈥檚 Manufacturing Co., which maintains its headquarters in West Hartford and recently was awarded by the U.S. Army for assault rifles. (Most of the others have moved production in recent years.)
More than work in the aerospace and defense sector. Military and defense operations in the state, which include both defense contractors and active-duty military personnel, account for as much as , according to a report from defense sector association SENEDIA.
At UConn, the names of military manufacturing companies adorn buildings, laboratories and endowed professorships. Last month, UConn unveiled the Pratt & Whitney Engineering Building . Pratt also sponsors in the College of Engineering. During its annual 鈥淟ockheed Martin Day,鈥� Sikorsky lands helicopters on the Student Union Mall and offers students .
Both Yale and UConn receive millions of dollars through to conduct specialized research for the Department of Defense on projects ranging from advanced communications systems to environmental science and biomedical applications. One of the largest recent contracts awarded to UConn was a four-year, $10 million project to for RTX hypersonic missiles. UConn also collaborates closely with Electric Boat in research and development through the .
鈥淭he University proudly partners with these and other companies, business organizations, and federal agencies in the shared pursuit of technological advancement related to the well-being of our society,鈥� UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said in an emailed response to questions. 鈥淭heir work is wide-ranging and highly valuable to society, including the development of many consumer products and best practices that advance critical areas such as transportation safety, sustainable building, resource conservation, protection against cyberattacks, and myriad other areas too numerous to count.鈥�
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat from the Congressional district that encompasses the campuses of both UConn and Electric Boat, said in an emailed statement: 鈥淥ur state鈥檚 ability to support our national security here and abroad would not be possible without the talented workforce that is trained-up through successful partnerships between employers and our institutions of higher education.鈥�
黑料吃瓜网 has also directed millions of taxpayer dollars toward the 鈥淢anufacturing Pipeline Initiative,鈥� housed at the state鈥檚 community colleges and technical high schools; the workforce development program is assisting Electric Boat in its efforts to fulfill tens of billions of dollars in new ballistic missile submarine contracts for the U.S. Navy.
Tens of millions more in state dollars have supported military manufacturing operations through direct financial assistance and .
'Heightened demand'
On Oct. 7, militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked several communities in southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 civilians 鈥� including many young people at an outdoor concert 鈥� and taking more than 200 hostages.
In the months since, in response to the attack, Israel鈥檚 military has killed more than 35,000 people in the densely populated Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave bordering southwest Israel and Egypt, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry. Much of Gaza鈥檚 population of 2.3 million has been displaced, many relocating to refugee camps where bombing has continued. Humanitarian aid organizations have had difficulty delivering food, and many Palestinians are , the Associated Press has reported.
The conflict has spurred and in 黑料吃瓜网 and around the world, triggering tensions between and within Israeli and Palestinian diasporas.
The United States, a close ally of Israel, has beefed up shipments of American-made weapons and equipment to support the Israeli Defense Forces. Last week, the Biden Administration made plans to sell an additional $1 billion in weapons to Israel, several outlets .
Each year, the U.S. provides a baseline $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, which includes contracts with large 黑料吃瓜网 operators. Sikorsky supplies , known as the King Stallion, to the Israeli Air Force and other U.S. allies. Pratt & Whitney鈥檚 power Israel鈥檚 fleet of stealth fighter jets.
One of General Dynamics' other businesses outside of 黑料吃瓜网, Ordnance and Tactical Systems, builds the highly destructive that Israel has been deploying in its campaign to destroy Hamas. The New York Times that Israel has dropped potentially hundreds of these bombs, which are rarely used by U.S. forces, in densely populated areas in Gaza.
As is to be expected, the escalations in the military conflict have boosted the fortunes of America鈥檚 defense contractors. RTX, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics have all seen their stock prices rise by double-digit percentages since Oct. 7.
A spokeswoman for RTX declined to answer questions for this story, citing a lack of adequate time to respond. But during a conference call discussing the company鈥檚 first quarter earnings, Chief Executive Christopher Calio said he was 鈥減leased鈥� with Congress鈥� recent passage of the annual federal spending bill, which increased the defense budget by 3% to $886 billion.
鈥淚nternationally, we continue to see heightened demand from U.S. allies,鈥� he said.
A spokeswoman for Electric Boat didn鈥檛 respond to multiple emails and phone calls requesting comment. Phebe Novakovic, CEO of parent company General Dynamics, said during a 2023 year-end earnings call in January that the company鈥檚 combat divisions 鈥� which include Ordnance and Tactical Systems 鈥� 鈥渉ad a wonderful quarter and a year with strong revenue growth, strong margin performance, good order activity and a strong pipeline of opportunity as we go forward.鈥�
Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet said on his company鈥檚 most recent quarterly call, 鈥淭he increasingly unstable geopolitical environment in the world today makes it essential for industry and government to strengthen our nation鈥檚 capabilities to deter and defend against further aggressive behavior against the U.S. and our allies.鈥� Citing investments the company has made to respond to that need, Taiclet added, 鈥淎s a result, we delivered robust revenue growth across the company.鈥�
None of that sits well with people who oppose Israel鈥檚 response to the Hamas attack 鈥� and the United States鈥� support. In recent months, the companies have faced outside several of their manufacturing facilities, including Pratt & Whitney鈥檚 .
鈥淚 think there is a true culture shift that has to happen, and that starts at places that are focused on education,鈥� said Taran Samarth, a graduate student at Yale and a member of the Endowment Justice Coalition, an activist student organization that pushes the university鈥檚 endowment to divest from fossil fuels and other industries. At Yale this week, a group of protestors during commencement.
In response to emailed questions, a spokesperson for Yale said the school doesn鈥檛 publicly discuss its investments.
鈥淚f the headline tomorrow is that the second-largest endowment will fully divest in weapons manufacturing, that鈥檚 a shock to the sector that says, 'This is no longer a place for investment.' It removes incentives,鈥� Samarth said. 鈥淔or educational institutions, if we can pull away our funding sources from defense and military agencies and industries, and instead re-center on the communities we work in 鈥� what does New Haven need, not Lockheed Martin 鈥� that can push us toward this peace economy in a more meaningful way.鈥�
(Earlier this week, student protestors at Wesleyan University agreed to take down their tents after negotiating an agreement with administrators to disclose details about the school's investments in the aerospace and defense sector. )
Members of 黑料吃瓜网's Congressional delegation see it differently.
"黑料吃瓜网 schools divesting from defense manufacturers would not change the incentives of Israel or Hamas in this conflict, nor would it limit the weapons available to them," DeLauro said in an email. "But it would weaken our national security, discourage investments in our economy that create jobs for 黑料吃瓜网 graduates, and embolden our adversaries around the world."
Courtney added: 鈥淎s someone who supports President Biden鈥檚 decision to pause delivery of 2,000-pound bombs in order to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza, I agree that the deployment of armaments is always a legitimate area of debate. That debate should focus on public officials like the president and Congress who have the legal discretion to export such items, as opposed to a blanket boycott of an industrial base that our own national defense and our allies in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific rely on," he said.
Graduating
Student organizers, many of whom have personal ties to Gaza, have formed the nucleus of the pro-Palestinian movement. But their calls for ceasefire, and demands of their schools to disclose endowment details and divest from the military machine, have given voice to concerns shared by many 黑料吃瓜网 residents.
鈥淭hey've led the way to bring attention to what's gone on in the Middle East that involves us, if not completely directly, somewhat directly through the military production that takes place in 黑料吃瓜网,鈥� said Clark Peters, a retired health care worker who recently attended a press conference held by UConn students to show his support for protesters who were arrested.
Some 黑料吃瓜网 residents have participated in student protests on campuses. Some have as the movement grows beyond colleges and universities.
Members of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Congressional delegation have encountered protesters at community events in their districts. Local pacifist groups have called on 黑料吃瓜网 to from companies supporting Israel鈥檚 war effort. And this month, Veterans for Peace is marching from Maine to Washington, D.C., making several .
鈥淚 think a lot of people recognize the problem of the United States supplying Israel with the weaponry, sophisticated military weaponry, to bomb and kill and destroy an entire people in Gaza,鈥� Peters said. 鈥淏ut, as many people say, 'What can you do? I need a job, I go to work. I try not to worry too much about what I'm doing.'鈥�
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 big three defense manufacturers, Electric Boat, RTX and Lockheed Martin, consistently rank among the for UConn graduates. For those who earned engineering degrees, the companies rank 1, 2 and 3.
At this year鈥檚 commencement ceremonies, UConn graduate students heard from Daniel Fata, a 1994 graduate of UConn鈥檚 public policy school. Fata worked as a staffer in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, then went on to the Defense Department, where he served as a deputy assistant secretary for Europe and NATO. Fata later worked as a vice president at Lockheed Martin, and he now consults on national security, government relations, strategic risk, foreign policy, aerospace and defense, the industrial base supply chain and other issues.
鈥淎ll of what I've learned and have been able to witness is because of what started here at UConn 34 years ago,鈥� he said. Among the advice Fata dispensed to the graduating class gathered that morning at Gampel Pavilion: 鈥淏e engaged. Don't just settle, don't just watch. Use your voice. Try and make a difference.鈥�
Fata鈥檚 four years at UConn in the early 1990s were marked by the first Gulf War, the fall of the Soviet Union and the expansion of the NATO alliance. 鈥淗istoric differences were once again being allowed to fester and boil over. It was a world I wanted to be part of, and try my best to make it as safe, peaceful, fair and democratic as possible."
Today, he said, he sees parallels.
鈥淭here is once again a call to action to try to establish some form of order. It requires us to come together rather than be distant and isolated from each other.鈥�