“As with any demonstration, university staff have been present to maintain student safety and enforce compliance with university policies,” the statement read. “The safety of our students is Miami University’s top priority, and that priority will guide university actions. Encampments create the need to provide continuous safety and security resources, which can divert these important resources away from the rest of our community. They can interfere with students’ ability to attend classes and prepare for finals and can strain the resources and facilities of the buildings located nearby.”
Maysa Constandinidis, president of Miami’s chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine, said the protesters have been given a deadline of 9 p.m. Saturday to clear the encampment. The university also has told demonstrators they can’t set up a canopy to shelter from the rain because it violates the policy against setting up tents without authorization.
“We will not stop, because we have a message to send,” Constandinidis said, “and that is that what is happening in Palestine is not OK.”
Credit: Sean Scott
Credit: Sean Scott
Numbers fluctuated at the encampment throughout the day, dropping to just over 10 around noon before increasing to roughly 40 at 6:45 p.m., when the protestors held a Shabbat dinner. The dinner was led by volunteers from Sheba Cincinnati, and roughly 10 Jewish people took part in the dinner.
Constandinidis said the encampment has received both support and criticism from students and faculty on campus. The Miami University Police Department has monitored the encampment throughout the day. Dean of Students BaShaun Smith said he and other student life staff are taking shifts on the academic quad to keep an eye on the situation.
Smith has met with student leaders in the encampment throughout the day, as has senior vice president of student life Jayne Brownell, senior vice president of student life, and Scott Walter, assistant vice president for student life.
Constandinidis said administrators have told her they aim to provide a list of the university’s investments to the protesters by Monday, but Smith could not confirm that information.
Miami’s branch of Hillel, an international Jewish student organization, posted a statement to Instagram Friday, saying the organization hoped the protest would remain peaceful and not antisemitic.
Credit: Sean Scott
Credit: Sean Scott
“While students have a right to protest, they do not have the right to intimidate or threaten Jewish and Israeli students — their classmates, peers and for some, fellow Jews — who may have different viewpoints,” the statement read. “All students have a right to learn in a safe environment. All Jewish students have the same rights. No student should feel as though they must hide their full identity to experience our campus environment, nor should their basic safety ever be jeopardized.”
While the protest has been peaceful and is in compliance with university policy, it has had consequences for SJP. Darek Sanabria Valderrama, incoming treasurer for SJP, said the organization has lost funding for a planned cookout May 5 with Miami’s Latiné Student Organization. SJP shared a donation link on Instagram and has received $1,355 from 36 donors as of 7 p.m. Friday.
Credit: Sean Scott
Credit: Sean Scott
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