Riverfront Times, Wash U Law School Faculty and Alumni Condemn Protest Crackdown:
A total of 140 Washington University School of Law faculty, students and alumni have signed an open letter condemning the university for the mass arrests and suspensions that followed Saturday’s Pro-Palestine protest.
The letter — addressed to Chancellor Andrew Martin and Vice Chancellors Anna Gonzalez, Nichol Luoma, Beverly Wendland and Robert Wild — says the university administration's characterization of events “does not align with many firsthand reports from the scene.”
In a statement following the protest, Martin said protestors behaved “aggressively” and referred to the demonstration as a “dark sad day” for the university. The law school signatories are pushing back on that.
“Far from a ‘substantial threat’ to University operations, the demonstration, by all accounts, was calm and without incident in the moments before police moved in. Participants were sitting on the ground eating snacks,” the letter says. “Even the police had relaxed and dispersed to sit around the area.”
The demonstration was met with “a disturbing picture of heavy-handed police tactics and suppression of open and free dialogue on campus,” the letter continues.
A total of 100 people were arrested on campus including 23 Wash U students and at least four employees.
- Washington University, Statement Regarding Campus Protest
- Washington University, Demonstrations and Disruption
- NBC News, Jewish Students Say They Feel 'Terrified' During Protests at Washington University
- Riverfront Times, Wash U Fences in Its Campus, Begs Students Not to Protest Commencement
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Condemnation Mounts for Washington University's 'Appalling' Response to Protest
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington University Faculty Placed on Leave, Students 'Houseless' After Gaza Protest
- STLPR, No Formal Charges Yet Filed Against Wash U Anti-War Protesters
