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Brown University temporarily suspended its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter for disorderly conduct after activists protested the Corporation of Brown University’s decision not to divest from companies that aid Israel in its war against Hamas, according to The Boston Globe.
The Brown Divest Coalition, a group of pro-Palestinian students urging the university to reconsider its investments, said the punishment was “a continuation of Brown’s efforts to intimidate anyone and everyone who attempts to hold [it] accountable.”
“Brown is often painted in the media as the school that ‘actually talked with protestors,’” the group wrote in a statement. “Do not be fooled: this is a smokescreen for their unyielding campaign of bureaucratic violence over the past year.”
The corporation, Brown’s governing body, voted against divestment Oct. 8. The protest that led to SJP’s suspension took place Oct. 18 and was the first major pro-Palestinian action since the vote. One pro-Israel trustee, Joseph Edelman, resigned from the corporation before the vote, saying the fact that the university would even consider divestment was “morally reprehensible.”
Student protesters marched around the Brown Medical School, where corporation members were meeting. Some held banners that read “Free Palestine” and “F$&@! YOU CPAX” while others banged on buckets and shouted “Shame!” at corporation members as they walked out of the building.
University spokesperson Brian Clark cited reports alleging intimidation during the protest; given the “severity” of the allegations, he said, the university suspended the student organization Oct. 24.
The students themselves have not been suspended, but the organization must cease all meetings, events and social media posting.
“While Brown’s policies make clear that protest is a necessary and acceptable means of expression on campus, protest cannot interfere with the normal functions of the university,” Clark said when he announced the suspension. “We are committed to upholding freedom of expression while also respecting the dignity and humanity of others.”
