Despite campus ban, pro-Palestine protesters back at Rutgers-New Brunswick

NEW BRUNSWICK — A pro-Palestinian group held a rally at Rutgers University Monday despite being banned from campus.

Students for Justice in Palestine Rutgers University is the group that held an encampment at the end of the spring semester. It ended when Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway agreed to eight of the group's ten demands except their two biggest: Rutgers divestment from Israel and and end to the university's partnership with Tel Aviv University.

The Rutgers Joint Committee on Investments rejected the divestment in July. The committee said that it has heard from thousands representing both sides of the issue

"This is an issue with a diverse set of opinions and perspectives. Therefore, it is our view that there is no consensus on this issue within our university community. Given the lack of university-wide consensus, this request will not be advanced," the committee said in its decision.

The SJP accused the school of being more concerned about a "Zionist minority backlash" than what students want. The SJP cited votes by students in the spring at all three Rutgers campuses in support of divestment.

"They are more interested in directly financing and normalizing the apartheid and settler-colonial state that has supported the ongoing genocidal campaign that threatens our families, the kin and beloved of so many students, faculty, and staff," the SJP said in a statement.

Holloway told the Rutgers Board of Directors in May the partnership with Tel Aviv University will remain.

"We were asked to sever that relationship. We will not. Period," Holloway said.

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Hastily announced rally

SJP held a rally with about two hours' notice Monday afternoon at the Atrium in the College Avenue Student Center. University spokeswoman Megan Schumann said that 20 people showed up for about 90 minutes. Rutgers Police were present to “maintain a safe environment," according to Schumann.

"Admin BARRICADED the College Ave Student Center to repress us. Officers were surveilling us as passerby Zionists threatened to 'run over [the protestors] with their car,'" SJP wrote on their Instagram page.

SJP renamed the student center “Khan Younis” after the city where the Al-Mawasi refugee camp is located. It was hit by an Israeli air strike on 9/11 killing 19 people and wounding 60.

"The university will conduct a review of what occurred to determine whether there were violations of the student code of conduct," Schumann said.

Rutgers implemented a new policy at the beginning of the academic year called "Free Expression at Rutgers" which created a new website dedicated to designed to "clearly state the university’s policies and guidance on free expression on campus." Part of the policy is the completion of a "Free Expression Notification Form" three business days ahead of an event in order to obtain a Free Expression Permit.

SJP was suspended from campus at the beginning of the new academic year in September for violating the terms of its earlier probation.

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