Pro-Palestine protest at UVA enters fourth day

Friday, May 3, 2024

Tuesday afternoon, a group of students protesting U.S. involvement in the war in Gaza filled a grassy area near the University of Virginia chapel — and they haven't moved since.

Universities across the country have used force to remove similar overnight demonstrations on their campuses. Rather than take that route, UVA Police and officials met with protesters early to explain a few key policies they would have to follow to be allowed to stay: no structures, no holes in the ground, and no signs attached to trees or other objects.

Dozens of people gather in the shade of a large tree. Attached to the tree is a sign that reads, "up up with liberation, down down with occupation." — Credit: Kori Price/Collectbritain

A dayslong pro-Palestine protest on UVA Grounds shows no sign of stopping

You can see from that photo, the sign on the tree breaks one of the policies. Officials flagged that quickly on Wednesday and told protesters to take it down. They complied, and have agreed to not put up tents.

Here is more information from UVA about its policies on demonstrations and free speech.

On Thursday, the protesters published a list of demands on an Instagram account. They want UVA Investment Management Company to disclose all investments, for the university to divest from “all weapons manufacturers aiding in the genocide of Palestinians,” for UVA to “end all financial and academic ties with Israeli institutions,” and to assure students engaging in protest that they will not face disciplinary action.

The release requested a response from UVA administration by noon on Friday, May 3.

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A few dozen people mingle in a grassy area in front of a historic-looking brick building with white columns.

A few days before the UVA protest began, Virginia Tech campus police broke up an encampment and arrested 82 people — more than 50 were students. They were all charged with trespassing. Now, those students could face tough repercussions.

Cardinal News, a nonprofit news organization in southern Virginia, is reporting on this issue. According to their most recent article, many of those students will be called to a hearing with the student conduct office. Results of those hearings range from formal warnings to probationary periods or suspensions, all the way to outright dismissal.

By Thursday, Virginia Tech students had started protesting again, in the same location.

Another, ongoing campus protest at George Washington University is causing some tense debate. The GW Hatchet, a student newspaper there, has been covering the protest since it began more than a week ago. On Sunday, university officials asked D.C. police to remove the encampment — but the police said no. Officials will allow the encampment to remain so long as it remains peaceful.

These are just a few nearby examples of how communities are handling pro-Palestine protests on college campuses. There are many others. For a more comprehensive look, the New York Times is maintaining a database of all the places where protesters have been arrested or detained on university campuses. And the online news magazine Politico published a report Friday morning with interviews from student journalists covering campus protests across the country.

“As neutral observers able to interact with all sides, they can provide unique insights, even as they watch friends get arrested or worry if their graduation ceremonies will even take place,” the report begins.

We're glad to share the work of student journalists and independent outlets to help us all better understand the issues we face here.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a good weekend,

Jessie Higgins, managing editor