Tufts University suspended its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine last week, but the group nevertheless held a demonstration on campus Monday, the one-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel.
The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter was ordered to halt all activity on Wednesday. The university pointed to multiple policy violations in their decision, including an Instagram post that depicted assault rifles, called on others to join a student intifada and escalate for Gaza on Oct. 7.
Less than a week after getting suspended, the group held a demonstration on with about 50 people on the academic quad, then walked into the Science and Engineering Complex and held a sit-in in a cafe, according to a statement from the school Tuesday, which noted that the action will factor into the review of SJP members and leadership. Read the school's updated statement, which notes that the administration's approach has included "urging students to treat each other with compassion," below.
"Tufts has proven its only allegiance is to its own endowment," a Tufts SJP spokesperson said in a statement. "Its refusal to condemn the genocide and disclose and divest from Israeli apartheid, along with its punishment of Palestinian and Jewish student protestors proves it is willing to put Zionist donors above basic morality."
A university spokesperson pointed to an SJP-organized demonstration on Sept. 12, where members marched through an academic building and blocked the entrance to another. The SJP failed to meet requirements from previous disciplinary actions related to demonstrations last spring, according to the spokesperson, resulting in their suspension.
"The suspension will remain in effect until the case is fully resolved. During this time, SJP must halt all activities, events, and meetings," the statement reads. "Any attempt to continue operating during this suspension will result in serious disciplinary consequences for both the organization and its leaders."
Tufts is the third local college to come down on pro-Palestinian student groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League East Vice President Peggy Shukur.
"I wish I could say that things are better, calmer, but really they're not," Shukur said. "We saw a disturbing amount of activity yesterday, on a day that our community viewed as a really sacred day of remembrance for those who were slaughtered in that terrorist attack."
Last spring, MIT suspended their SJP equivalent, the Coalition against Apartheid. Brandeis University banned their SJP chapter last November — something a student government representative said has shaken their trust in the administration.
"Students knew completely that they would be met with the full wrath and power of the administration," Brandeis senior Allison Weiner said. "My advice to Tufts students would be that this is kind of just the beginning… to work tirelessly to continue the work that they've been doing -- that should not stop -- but definitely be very thoughtful about their next moves."
Read the Tufts representative's full statement here:
Despite our efforts emphasizing community values and urging students to treat each other with compassion, a small group of about 50 protesters chose to use the day to heighten tensions by walking out of class and protesting on the academic quad. To be clear, this was not an approved event. It did not require registration, nor would registration have been granted. Students for Justice in Palestine has been placed on an interim suspension while a conduct process takes place to address recent allegations of violations. Among other restrictions, this requires the group to stop or cancel all organization related activities, events, and meetings until a final resolution to the complaint is reached. That SJP organized, advertised, and took credit for the protest will be important factors as the conduct process continues for the group and its leadership.
Following the protest on the academic quad, a subset of about 20 protesters entered the Science and Engineering Complex and held a sit-in in the area around the Kindlevan café in violation of university policies. Throughout the afternoon, we took a series of escalated steps to get them to vacate the premises. We were prepared to take further steps, including issuing no-trespass orders which could potentially be followed by arrest, when the students left just before 6pm. As is our practice, we will hold accountable anyone found to have violated university policy and the student code of conduct during yesterday's protest.
