Controversy: UF may trespass protestors engaging in prohibited activities
A pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Florida has turned controversial as the university has threatened student and employee protestors with a ban from campus if they engage in prohibited activities.
Students and members of the UF community gathered Wednesday at the Plaza of the Americas for an emergency protest in solidarity with Gaza amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, demanding the university to divest from Israel and apartheid. Since then, protestors have continued to occupy the campus.
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) posted on Instagram Thursday that UF police officers were threatening to trespass and terminate students and employees protesting for the liberation of Palestine and divestment from genocide. Additionally, they said the university had distributed a flyer of new items and activities not allowed during protest.
"We are appalled by the University of Florida’s response to peaceful protestors and occupiers in the Plaza of Americas this evening," the post by UF SJP reads. "After changing the rules and regulations several times over the last two days and being unable to cite university policy, UFPD distributed a new and vague list of 'allowable activities' to restrict our movement."
Previously: UF students share thoughts, experiences on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Statement: UF President Ben Sasse condemns Hamas attacks, ensures student safety after stampede vigil
UF Divestment Coalition, a group calling on UF to "end complicity in the ongoing occupation of Palestine and genocide in Gaza" also posted Thursday on Instagram about the issue with a graphic that states UF police "intimidated students occupying the liberation zone by telling them they could not sleep or face arrest."
"UF and UFPD have made it clear they are not comfortable with our presence," the post by UF Divestment Coalition reads. "They ordered us to take down our banners and flags. They harassed occupiers through the night, waking them up every 30 minutes. Their egos are high, and they have not been consistent with the regulations of our occupation, nor have they provided us with the policy numbers of their demands. We will not be intimidated."
The post made on Thursday also stated that protesters were approaching their 30th hour of occupation at UF's Plaza of the Americas and urged people to show up in solidarity with Gaza, to protect their rights and to keep the liberation zone going.
The university gave a statement about the situation to The Sun Friday which said UF will protect speech and uphold the law.
"Peaceful protests are constitutionally protected. Camping, putting up structures, disrupting academic activity, or threatening others on university property is strictly prohibited," the university said. "The University has clearly communicated this to our students and explained that they can exercise their free speech rights but breaking the law will result in an immediate trespassing order from UFPD and an interim suspension from Student Life."
Cynthia Roldán, UF director of public affairs, shared in an email the document that was given to students Thursday. The paper highlights the allowed and prohibited activities during protesting, which Roldán said are part of existing UF policies and regulations.
Additionally, Roldán said in an email that UF's policies have been in place for years and none have been adjusted recently.
Allowable activities include speech, expressing viewpoints and holding signs in hands, the paper reads. Prohibited activities include sleeping, camping, amplified sound and demonstrations inside buildings, among others. Additionally, prohibited items include camping items, weapons, unmanned signs and chairs, among others.
Additionally, the document reads that individuals who don't comply with these rules, and those found engaging in prohibited activities, will be trespassed from campus. Students will receive a three year trespass and suspension, while employees will be trespassed and removed from employment.
Existing policies and regulations for the university can be found at https://policy.ufl.edu.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida released a statement Friday afternoon regarding pro-Palestinian protests at state university campuses, stating that Florida leadership and some public universities have failed in supporting the right to protest. It also states that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said pro-Palestinian student protesters should be expelled from their universities and international students should have their visas canceled.
“As students demonstrate on campuses across Florida, we remind school administrators that freedom of expression is a cornerstone of education in a democratic society. The freedom to share diverse views and spark robust debate about political issues is essential to democracy— especially in times of national and global crisis. Colleges and universities should be places where ideas are exchanged freely, debate is encouraged, and peaceful protest is protected.
“Public universities should not be raising the consequences of student protest because it is politically expedient," a statement by Howard Simon, ACLU of Florida executive director, said. "Public universities should not be raising the consequences of student protest because it is politically expedient. Sudden and harsh punishment, whether it be suspension or banishment, should not apply to this protest movement because that message is unpopular with university officials and political leaders. The experience of our country’s universities during the McCarthy era makes clear that efforts to silence speech on campus destroy the foundation on which academic communities, and our democracy, are built. We urge campus administrators and law enforcement to exercise restraint in interfering with student demonstrations and encampments and remain firm in their commitment to free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent on campus. The principles on which this country was founded demand no less."
Simon's statement also reads that the response by DeSantis goes against First Amendment principles of free speech and expression, stating that no student should face the risk of being expelled from a university or the country for exercising their rights.
Additionally, he said the ACLU of Florida is closely watching protests on campuses across the state.
"The freedom to protest without retribution is essential to our democracy," said Simon in a statement. "Government censorship is not the answer.”
A call to write an open letter calling on UF President Ben Sasse to end Islamophobic, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian rhetoric — which SJP said is being spread on UF campus — as well as to "condemn the ethnic genocide of Palestinians" was posted on Instagram in October 2023. This letter can be found on the SJP Instagram page or at https://linktr.ee/ufsjp.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: UF threatens protestors with campus ban
