2024 University of Virginia pro-Palestinian campus occupation explained

Place:University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
2024 University of Virginia pro-Palestinian campus occupation
Partof:the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
Date:May 1–4, 2024
Side1:Pro-Palestinian groups:
  • UVA Dissenters
  • UVA Apartheid Divest Coalition
  • UVA Encampment for Gaza
Side2:
Causes:solidarity with other 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses
Goals:disinvestment from Israel
Result:Protests suppressed
Arrests:25 protesters arrested
Injuries:pepper spray to protesters

In May 2024, pro-Palestinian student protesters at the University of Virginia demonstrated on the campus. The protesters organized an occupation on university grounds in support of Palestinian nationalism in the context of the Israel–Hamas war.

Students organized various protest activities at the University of Virginia from the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In April 2024 in the global media beyond Charlottesville, Donald Trump made comparisons of pro-Palestinian protesters at universities nationwide to the hostile aggressors at the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally. On May 1 students established a protest encampment at the university. On May 4, police ended the protest by pepper spraying demonstrators and arresting 27 of them.

Background

The University of Virginia is a school in Charlottesville, Virginia.

At the time of the pro-Palestinian protests, there was still a strong community memory of the 2017 white supremacy rally, Unite the Right.[1] More generally, former president Donald Trump had been comparing pro-Palestinian protesters at universities nationwide to the hostile aggressors at the Unite the Right rally.[2] A commentator for The New Republic described the comparison of pro-Palestinian protesters with Charlottesville Neo-Nazis as despicable and slander.[3]

Following the October 7 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, protests in support of Palestine included a student group publishing an October 11 statement of support for a Free Palestine.[4] On April 19 students organized a die-in on The Lawn.[5]

Previous pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the community included a 2021 Palestinian solidarity march.[6]

Demonstration

On Tuesday, April 30, student groups decided to convene a demonstration for Palestine starting the following day, Wednesday, May 1.[7] The decision to act was in part due to student reports of violent ends to similar demonstrations at the nearby Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.[7] At the establishment of the protest, opponents compared the pro-Palestinian demonstrators to the white supremacists who organized the Unite the Right rally.[1]

The encampment was near the University Chapel.[8]

By the third day the occupation was robust and seemed prepared to continue indefinitely.[9] In response to student demonstrations, University of Virginia professors organized a scholarly dialogue about the war.[10]

On the fourth day the protesters announced their publication of a statement on an official Instagram account.[11] [12] Their demands included that the university begin disinvestment from Israel.[11]

On Saturday, May 4, police force ended the demonstration.[13] The New York Times described the University of Virginia arrests as among the most prominent in the nation.[13] Police used pepper spray on the demonstrators and then arrested 25 of them for trespassing.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Reactions

The University of Virginia newspaper The Cavelier Daily, the local newspaper Charlottesville Tomorrow, and the university official communications described protesters as "Pro-Palestinian";[8] [11] [15] local newspaper The Daily Progress described them as "anti-war";[16] and national news source Fox News described them as "anti-Israel";[15]

The University of Virginia and university president James E. Ryan issued official statements on May 4 that the demonstration was over because the protestors refused to comply with university policy and because of violent conduct.[18] Ryan additionally made his own personal and official statement.[19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Manto . Margaret . They lived through the 2017 white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville — and say comparisons to pro-Palestinian campus protests are unfair . Charlottesville Tomorrow . 1 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 1 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240501201707/https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/they-lived-through-the-2017-white-supremacist-rallies-in-charlottesville-and-say-comparisons-to-pro-palestinian-campus-protests-are-unfair/ . live .
  2. News: Cameron . Chris . Trump Again Compares Violent White Supremacist March in Charlottesville to Campus Protests . The New York Times . 25 April 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 4 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240504092802/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/us/politics/trump-charlottesville-campus-protests.html . live .
  3. News: Heydari . Aubtin . The Grotesque Slander of Comparing Gaza Protesters to Neo-Nazis . . 25 April 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 28 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240428182040/https://newrepublic.com/article/180989/charlottesville-comparison-gaza-student-protest . live .
  4. News: Dunn . Hailey . UVA student group receives backlash for supporting Free Palestine movement 'by whatever means necessary' . 13newsnow.com . 11 October 2023 . 5 May 2024 . 12 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231012063219/https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/nation-world/israel-hamas-conflict/virginia-leaders-uva-student-group-statement-supporting-palestinian-resistance-israel/291-c197346c-a43c-4e26-8e89-3ff9ad6a1462 . live .
  5. News: Baxter . Thomas . Students for Justice in Palestine criticizes University at “die-in” on Lawn . The Cavalier Daily . April 19, 2024 . May 5, 2024 . April 25, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240425051517/https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/04/students-for-justice-in-palestine-criticizes-university-at-die-in-on-lawn . live .
  6. News: Kropf . Mike . Photos: Palestinian solidarity march at UVA . Charlottesville Tomorrow . 24 May 2021 . 5 May 2024 . 1 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240501233616/https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/photos-palestinian-solidarity-march-at-uva/ . live .
  7. News: Higgins . Jessie . UVA student groups will demonstrate Wednesday, as pro-Palestine protests are broken up on other Virginia campuses • Charlottesville Tomorrow . Charlottesville Tomorrow . 30 April 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 3 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240503034741/https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/newsletter/uva-student-groups-will-demonstrate-wednesday-as-pro-palestine-protests-are-broken-up-on-other-virginia-campuses/ . live .
  8. News: CD News Staff . Pro-Palestinian protesters form encampment near University Chapel . The Cavalier Daily . 2 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 2 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240502190451/https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/05/pro-palestinian-protesters-form-encampment-near-university-chapel . live .
  9. News: Manto . Margaret . A dayslong pro-Palestine protest on UVA Grounds shows no sign of stopping . Charlottesville Tomorrow . 3 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505100422/https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/a-dayslong-pro-palestine-protest-on-uva-grounds-shows-no-sign-of-stopping/ . live .
  10. News: Stadler . Lexie . Professors speak about leading productive dialogue on Israel-Hamas war . The Cavalier Daily . 3 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 3 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240503110616/https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/05/professors-speak-about-leading-productive-dialogue-on-israel-hamas-war . live .
  11. News: Higgins . Jessie . Pro-Palestine protest at UVA enters fourth day . Charlottesville Tomorrow . 3 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 3 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240503173806/https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/newsletter/pro-palestine-protest-at-uva-enters-fourth-day/ . live .
  12. Web site: uvaencampmentforgaza . uvaencampmentforgaza . www.instagram.com . Instagram.
  13. News: Cochrane . Emily . Hooper . Ryan Patrick . Williams . Kevin . Landers . Jackson . Dozens Arrested at U.Va. as Other Protests Disrupt Graduations . The New York Times . 4 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505015556/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/04/us/graduation-commencement-pro-palesitinian-protests.html . live .
  14. News: Landers . Jackson . Spencer . Hawes . Cochrane . Emily . At UVA, police deploy chemical irritants and arrest at least 25 protesters . . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505014120/https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/05/04/at-uva-police-deploy-chemical-irritants-and-arrest-at-least-25-protesters/ . live .
  15. News: Casiano . Louis . University of Virginia police arrest 25 anti-Israel protesters while trying to clear encampment . Fox News . 4 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505033709/https://www.foxnews.com/us/university-virginia-police-arrest-25-anti-israel-protesters-clear-encampment . live .
  16. News: Armesto . Jason . Police raid UVa encampment, arrest anti-war protesters . . 4 May 2024 . en . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505015603/https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/education/police-raid-uva-encampment-arrest-anti-war-protesters/article_b869f354-0a54-11ef-9a35-bf020acf72c1.html . live .
  17. News: Baxter . Thomas . Trainer . Finn . Police forcefully clear encampment near University Chapel, detain protesters . The Cavalier Daily . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505185802/https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2024/05/police-forcefully-clear-encampment-near-university-chapel-detain-protesters . live .
  18. News: Mather . Mike . Demonstration Ends After Protesters Refuse to Comply with University Policy . news.virginia.edu . 4 May 2024 . en . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505093621/https://news.virginia.edu/content/demonstration-ends-after-protesters-refuse-comply-university-policy . live .
  19. Web site: Ryan . James E . James E. Ryan (educator) . A Message from President Ryan . news.virginia.edu . en . 4 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . 5 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505101648/https://news.virginia.edu/content/message-president-ryan . live .

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