Update 8.45pm: Allen Groves, Chief Student Experience Officer, said in a message to campus members of the Student Experience and Academic Affairs teams spoke with participants about what is permitted and what activity, conduct or language is in violation of campus policies.
Groves said they asked one poster with language the university deemed as “harassing” to be removed and the protesters complied with that request. He said otherwise the encampment has been peaceful.
“Syracuse University is committed to free expression and respects the rights of our community members to peacefully assemble and protest,” Groves said. “That’s an important part of our history as a great university. What we won’t tolerate is speech or conduct that contains threats or targeted harassment as defined in our policies. The right to protest does not supersede the rights of community members or our obligation to fulfill our academic mission.”
Original Story
A Palestine Solidarity Encampment was set up Monday morning at Syracuse University. Dozens of students set up more than a dozen tents on Shaw Quad across from Hendricks Chapel.
The group of students had seven demands for Syracuse University including publicly supporting a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Other demands include full disclosure of collaborations with companies and institutions supporting Israel and terminating all programs and affiliations with Israeli scenic and security institutions.
The students also want amnesty for protesters and robust support for freedom of speech and assembly. They also want support for academic freedom around issues surrounding Israel and Palestine. Additionally, the group called for reform in the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to address issues of Islamophobia, racism and anti-Palestinian bias among officers trained in the post-9/11 era. Student also wants the formation of a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
WRVO was on Syracuse University’s campus Monday afternoon and did not witness any increased DPS presence. At one point university officials spoke with organizers and were handing out papers that stated the student rights and responsibilities and the campus disruption policy. As of 3:30 pm there were no counter-protests.
Student protests denied requests from the press. Syracuse University officials have not commented on the protest.
The Syracuse University Student Association plans to introduce a “Resolution in Solidarity with Syracuse University Encampment and Condemnation of Antisemitism” at its Monday night meeting.
“We continue to encourage Syracuse University to call for a permanent peace process and ceasefire,” the student association wrote in the proposed resolution. “We call on Syracuse University to not forcibly disrupt or disband the encampment on the Shaw Quad and to engage in negotiations with the students’ requests.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
