Pro-Palestinian protests have ignited AZ colleges. Here's what's happening at ASU, UA, NAU
Students at all three of Arizona’s public universities have over the last week constructed encampments in protest of the ongoing war in Gaza.
The students, supported by other community activists, are calling on their universities to divest from Israel and condemn the war. At Arizona State University, 15 students were arrested, while others at the University of Arizona were threatened with arrest.
The encampments are among dozens across the country, which escalated to hundreds of students being arrested. In some cases, police in other states have dragged students away or forced them to the ground. The Arizona Board of Regents, the entity overseeing the state’s public university system, said in a statement to The Arizona Republic that students must adhere to their code of conduct.
"The Board defends and upholds the First Amendment right to free expression," a spokesperson said. "Individuals exercising these rights must nevertheless follow all applicable laws, university regulations, and the ABOR Code of Conduct. These rules and laws exist to protect teaching and learning on campus, uphold individuals’ right to free speech and prioritize safety."
Here’s what is playing out at campuses across Arizona:
Dozens arrested at Arizona State University
On Friday morning, a group of protesters led by Students Against Apartheid filed into Alumni Lawn on ASU’s campus during the last day of classes to create a “liberated zone."
The encampment included more than a dozen tents and shade structures. By nightfall, several tents were stocked with cases of water and food donated by community members. Protesters served a late dinner to people who prepared to stay in the camp overnight.
That night, 72 people were arrested after campus police said they gave multiple orders to vacate the lawn. Charges have not been officially filed against them, said a Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokesperson. Dozens were released from jail on Saturday.
While multiple attorneys have raised concerns regarding the protesters’ right to free speech, ASU officials stood by the actions in a statement.
“While the university will continue to be an environment that embraces freedom of speech, ASU’s first priority is to create a safe and secure environment that supports teaching and learning,” it read.
On Saturday, Alumni Lawn was closed off with metal barricades. Multiple employees with a private security company said ASU had ordered a 24-hour watch.
The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement Tuesday condemning an incident the group believes involved ASU police after video surfaced of a woman’s hijab being forcibly removed.
A lawsuit filed Tuesday evening accused Arizona State University of infringing on students' rights to free speech, following the weekend of protests.
The complaint, filed in federal court, says several students who participated in Friday’s on-campus protest against the war in Gaza received notice they are barred from campus until a decision is made on whether they violated the school's code of conduct.
University of Arizona encampment disbanded before deadline
Students at the University of Arizona set up their own encampment a few days after ASU’s was forcefully removed by officers. On Monday morning, students made similar demands, including university divestment and a public statement condemning the violence in Gaza. The demands were addressed to both UA leadership and the Board of Regents.
Students shared updates on social media throughout the day Monday, eventually saying they decided to disperse before a 10:30 p.m. deadline set by campus police to take the encampment down. But on Tuesday the protesters returned and reinstated an encampment, pitching tents and lugging a couch onto campus.
Asani Fowler a member of Students Against Apartheid, the coalition that organized the encampment, said UA administrators, who were at the encampment Tuesday, are willing to discuss the students’ demands Wednesday morning.
Students at the encampment Tuesday night were expecting to be arrested if they stayed after 10:30 p.m. Dozens of police and sheriff’s officers were seen near the encampment area.
“If you arrest us you aren’t going to meet with us,” Fowler said, adding that the administration is not trying to hear students, but subdue them.
Northern Arizona University students start encampment
NAU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine announced they had started their own encampment in Flagstaff on Tuesday morning. More than 15 tents were pitched outside the campus bookstore with some pro-Israel demonstrators arriving in the morning.
The day before the protest, NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera emailed a statement to the campus community calling for "free expression, academic freedom, and the pursuit of knowledge."
“In the past few weeks, we have closely monitored campus protests nationwide. Looking to our own campus, I am proud of how Lumberjacks have prioritized the safety of our community, upheld the virtues of academic freedom, championed free expression, and rejected hate and bigotry in all its forms,” the email read.
Cruz Rivera said the school would adopt an interim policy to support “reasonable time, place, and manner guidelines related to free expression.” He said temporary structures and “expressive activities” were prohibited on campus after 10 p.m.
By 7 p.m. the encampment at Northern Arizona University had doubled in size from early afternoon. Campus administration has placed half a dozen signs around the perimeter of the encampment stipulating the school’s rules for expressive activity and temporary structures, which are not allowed outside of the campus operating hours between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Dean of Students Megan Gavin made a brief announcement to the student protesters “recognizing their rights to assembly and peaceful demonstration” and reminding them of the approaching curfew. “Violations could result in sanctions up to expulsion and may also be subject to criminal charges,” Gavin said.
Republic reporters Rey Covarrubias Jr. and Abigail Celaya contributed to this article.
Reach the reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].
Helen Rummel covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pro-Palestinian protests spread across Arizona’s college campuses
