We read national headlines about student-led protests at Columbia University and graduation ceremonies being canceled due to protests at the University of Southern California.
In both cases, students at similar demonstrations, including at Yale, Rutgers, and UCLA, are protesting the war in Gaza and demanding that the universities cut financial ties with Israel and call for a ceasefire. Undoubtedly, it is worth paying attention to what is happening on this famous campus.
But protests are taking place on campuses across the country, and some of the most persistent reporting on the protests has come from student reporters covering their own classmates and administration.
As of May 1, such protests were taking place on at least 80 college campuses, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education tracker.
At Virginia Commonwealth University, the situation suddenly shifted from sidewalk chalk messages to police officers in riot gear after students set up a 'liberation zone' encampment near the campus library and refused to leave when university leaders asked them to do so for the night. . State police, city police and campus police used pepper spray* to control the situation and arrested several students, according to a report by The Commonwealth Times journalists.
The situation developed rapidly. Four days ago, student editor Peggy Stansbery said in her email to The Hechinger Report: President of our university. For the record, the president did not try to silence anyone on campus.”
Some students returned to the encampment the day after their arrest, but so did the police. University leaders also distributed them. Flyer with “Major Incident Policy” Gatherings of more than 50 people, setting up tents or other structures, or using speaker systems may result in being “removed from University property,” criminal charges for trespassing, or other University disciplinary action.
At the University of Delaware, students held a three-day “Walk Out, Die In” event. The event commemorated Palestinians killed in the conflict by marching across campus and then lying quietly outdoors on blankets. review.
The university has so far permitted protests. The review reported that police were present during at least one protest, but that the protests were peaceful and police did not intervene.
In early April, The Review wrote about hundreds of small Israeli flags displayed on campus lawns, which were removed and thrown into trash cans by different groups of students. The university told those responsible there would be “repercussions” and allowed the display to remain green for a week.
Student reporters for The Beacon at the University of Portland, Oregon, wrote about high-rise graffiti on campus buildings that read “Palestine” and “Free Palestine.”
The university is removing the graffiti, but Michael McNerney, director of Campus Safety and Emergency Management, told The Beacon: [the cleanup] Because of judgment about the message or meaning [of the vandalism]“Although the University has decided to take a more neutral stance on the dispute, it is one that has significant implications for the campus community.”
Aside from addressing the graffiti, the university administration has not commented on the conflict or protests except in a Palm Sunday email sent to students. “May we remember this coming Holy Week with prayers for peace and action,” the Rev. John Donato, vice president of student affairs, wrote in the letter. “Let us focus on ending war, death, and destruction in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and on the American mainland.”
At the University of Minnesota last week, student reporters for the Minnesota Daily covered protests related to “political repression of Palestinian activists on campus,” while campus police cleared a student tent encampment. Student publications reported that six students, two former students and one staff member were arrested.
Student activists later called for “more support,” and the university closed 12 campus buildings. The Daily reported that Rachel Croson, vice president and provost, said in an email to students that protesters must comply with student and staff conduct policies while ensuring freedom of expression.
*Correction: A previous version incorrectly stated what Virginia Commonwealth University police officers used to control protests on the campus. It was pepper spray. The Commonwealth Times student newspaper has updated the article with this corrected information.
Peggy Stansbery, Ella Holland, Kate Cuadrado, Konner Metz and Alex Steil contributed reporting.
This story about student journalists covering protests was produced by: Hechinger Reportis a nonprofit, independent media outlet focused on inequality and innovation in education. join us Higher Education Newsletter. hear us out Higher Education Podcast.