BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana University Board of Trustees is ratifying a new policy after dozens of protesters were arrested in Dunn Meadow in April.
The Expressive Activity Policy “supports protests and demonstrations that don’t materially or substantially disrupt university operations or hinder the expressive activity of another individual or group.” It allows assembling in public areas of campus — including Dunn Meadow, making speeches, carrying signs, and using sidewalk chalk.
It does not allow disruptive outdoor amplified sound, affixing, hanging, or placing signs without prior permission, the use of temporary structures without approval at least 10 days in advance, and camping.
What the policy calls “protest activity” can also only happen between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
“There can be no disconnect between free speech and campus safety,” said IU Board of Trustees chair Quinn Buckner. “It cannot happen. They are two sides of a very important coin. We have what I think is a huge opportunity and a blessing here to educate and protect the people on this campus.”
The encampment in which this policy is a response to is still there on Dunn Meadow. It is apprised of many people protesting the Israel-Hamas War. The anti-Israeli protestors are calling on the university to divest itself from any interests it has in Israel.
They’ve affixed signs on fences and in the ground and tents have been set up their for several weeks. All this would be in violation of IU’s news policy which the protesters say is too “heavy-handed.”
“Almost no one is in favor of this policy. They see it for what it is: a way to further oppress student voices, especially at a time when they are protesting against genocide,” said Bryce Greene on WISH-TV.
The policy goes into effect Thursday. It’s not clear if the university plans to dismantle what is left of the anti-Israeli encampment at Dunn Meadow once the policy takes effect.
1 comment
Indiana University is a land grant college. It exists and operates in part on tax dollars. So what ever they do they owe it to all Hoosier tax payers to make sure no “peaceful protests” damage or destroy any state property or disrupts the learning possibilities of all other non involved “students.” Any non-registered students taking part in any protest should be summarily ejected from my property and jailed for trespass as a minimum. No lets see if the administrators of the campus have the fortitude to enforce such rules. Somehow I doubt they do.