Brown University suspends pro-Palestinian student group

October 29 (UPI) — Brown University has temporarily suspended a pro-Palestinian student group while administrators investigate alleged conduct violations at a protest earlier this month.

“Given the seriousness of the alleged threatening, intimidating, and harassing acts during an event on campus, Brown University has initiated an investigation into the incident and has requested that the Brown chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine cease all organizational activities until the matter has been fully investigated.” Ivy League University spokesman Brian Clark said: Brown told the Daily Herald.

“While Brown’s policies make clear that protests are a necessary and acceptable means of expression on campus, protest cannot intervene Administrators added: “We operate in accordance with the normal functions of the university.” “We are committed to supporting freedom of expression while respecting the dignity and humanity of others,” the executives wrote.

Last week, the Brown administration notified Students for Justice in Palestine that its chapter was suspended and would not be allowed to hold events, meetings or post on social media.

The university said it hired an outside investigator to gather evidence about protesters who attended an Oct. 18 demonstration against Brown’s decision to reject the liquidation of 10 companies with ties to the Israeli military.

Russell Carey, vice president for Planning and Policy at Brown University, called the protesters’ behavior “completely unacceptable.”

Carey said demonstrators “swore at individuals,” “hit a vehicle” and “used a racist slur against a person of color,” adding that the actions violated Brown’s law. student conduct policies.

Members of the Brown Divest Coalition, which oversees Students for Justice in Palestine, called SJP’s suspension “politically motivated.”

“With this decision, the university has reinforced its utter disregard and commitment to the dehumanization of the Palestinian people,” the group said.

“This suspension and other allegations made against SJP by the administration are a retaliatory, politically motivated ploy to smear protesters, fracture the student movement, and diminish their complicity in the destruction of the Palestinian people,” the Brown Divest Coalition said.

Other colleges and universities, including Tufts University, Rutgers University, American University, and the University of Vermont suspended Pro-Palestinian group chapters amid ongoing protests.

at Harvard earlier this month suspended 25 professors and more than 60 law students from the university’s flagship Widener Library after a silent “study” protest in the library’s main reading room.