University of Maryland cancels anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine protest on Oct. 7 anniversary
The University of Maryland, College Park announced that it will no longer allow an anti-Israel event to be held on its quad on Oct. 7, 2024, the anniversary of Hamas’ attack against Israel.
The announcement was made in a Sept. 1 statement released by UMD President Darryll Pines, in which he noted the “overwhelming outreach” of comments against the scheduled anti-Israel event.
The University of Maryland, College Park announced that it will no longer allow an anti-Israel event to be held on its quad on Oct. 7, 2024, the anniversary of Hamas’ attack against Israel.
The announcement was made in a Sept. 1 statement released by UMD President Darryll Pines, in which he noted the “overwhelming outreach” of comments against the scheduled anti-Israel event.
“Given the overwhelming outreach, from multiple perspectives, I requested a routine and targeted safety assessment for this day to understand the risks and safety measures associated with planned events,” Pines stated.
“Jointly, out of an abundance of caution, we concluded to host only university-sponsored events that promote reflection on this day,” Pines concluded. “All other expressive events will be held prior to October 7, and then resume on October 8 in accordance with time, place and manner considerations of the First Amendment”
Previously, UMD intended to allow its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) to use the university’s quad on Oct. 7, 2024.
According to an Instagram post, the SJP chapter was going to host a “vigil to mourn the lives lost as a result of the settler-colonial Zionist entity’s 76-year campaign of rapacious occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.”
Maryland Hillel, a Jewish student group, described the scheduled event as an “affront to a day of Jewish tragedy and mourning,” according to The National Desk.
“While we are celebrating our Jewish pride, others in the Maryland community are not,” said Ari Israel, the Executive Director of Maryland Hillel.
“We apprised them of the emotional load SJP’s callous behavior will bear on our Jewish community if they protest on the greatest Jewish day of mourning and tragedy since the Holocaust,” Israel added.
On Aug. 29, UMD’s SJP chapter published a statement condemning the “Zionist entity” and committing to “fight for justice” as students return to school.
“This is more than just a powerful start to the new semester—it’s a reaffirmation of our commitment to justice and solidarity, stronger than ever before,” UMD SJP stated.
Campus Reform reported in April about a pro-Palestine protest that disrupted a speech at the University of Maryland, which the school’s president controversially lauded.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) was set to speak at the University of Maryland on Mar. 28 but was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters who accused him of complicity in “genocide.”
University of Maryland President Darryll Pines described the shutdown as an instance of free speech.
“He came here to speak about where our democracy is going in our country,” Pines said at the time about Raskin’s speech. “What you saw play out actually was democracy and free speech and academic freedom. From our perspective as a university, there are the difficult conversations that we should be having.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Maryland for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
