UB released drafts of new protest policies that reinforce the prohibition of encampments, restrict assemblies to outdoor areas and limit posters to bulletin boards on Aug. 22.
University spokesperson John Della Contrada said that the alterations are “partly” in response to the criticism regarding UB’s forceful arrests of 15 pro-Palestine protesters during the May 1 encampment where demonstrators demanded UB to support the ceasefire in Gaza and to divest from Israel.
“The university decided it was in the best interest of the campus community to clarify and update our policies,” Della Contrada said.
The new assembly policies also lift time-of-day restrictions. Previously, UB policies stated that assemblies cannot “last more than one day” or “exceed 12 hours.”
In a public statement posted yesterday on Instagram, SUNY UB BDS called the policies a “direct contradiction to fostering free expression on our campus” and said that these changes can be used to “suppress people’s moments for environmental and social justice, impede liberation for those who have been historically oppressed, and hinder institutional equity for all.”
The organization demanded for the terms, “safety, security, and well-being” to be defined in UB’s Assembling policy to prevent the policy from being applied in “discriminatory ways.” They also stated that the safety of on-campus “camping activities” must be considered on a “case-by-case basis” and that the posting policy is “extremely restrictive.”
While already implemented, the policies are currently under the 30-day review period and are subject to change. The policy review group, including representatives from the UB Student Association, Faculty Senate and UB Graduate Student Association, are expected to meet on September 9 over Zoom.
The Students for Justice in Palestine organization did not respond to The Spectrum’s request for comment by the time of publication.
The article was updated to include SUNY UB BDS’s statement.
Hannah Rashad is the assistant news editor and can be reached at hannah.rashad@ubspectrum.com
Mylien Lai is the senior news editor and can be reached at mylien.lai@ubspectrum.com
Mylien Lai is the senior news editor at The Spectrum. Outside of getting lost in Buffalo, she enjoys practicing the piano and being a bean plant mom. She can be found at @my_my_my_myliennnn on Instagram.
Hannah Rashad is an assistant news editor.
