BUFFALO, N.Y. — Faculty at the University at Buffalo are condemning the University's responses to the protests that have been held on campus over the last few days by students.
A portion of the letter sent to the University's President Satish K. Tripathi read:
"As faculty at UB, we are deeply disturbed by the University’s decision to violently escalate the peaceful protest that students organized on May 1st. Around fifty protestors assembled to protest the war in Gaza and support divestment on the lawn outside Hochstetter Hall on UB’s North campus. The gathering was entirely peaceful and students were well organized. When told that erecting tents for an encampment would lead to their arrest, students reorganized the gathering immediately to comply with the policy. Furthermore, the order that students disperse after sundown – cited as 8:22 pm by law enforcement officers at the protest – was ad hoc, dangerous and discriminatory. The official university policy barring overnight picketing and assembly does not mention sundown. The sundown deadline for arrest coincided with Maghrib, Muslim evening prayer, which police seemed unaware of until informed by the protestors. The rules about student protests were being updated in real time on the day of the protest, appearing discriminatory and making it difficult for even the most informed students to comply. "
Over 200+ signatures have been added to the letter from professors across the University's campus such as the department of geography, department of English, the school of law, the school of social work, and more.
The faculty members who have signed the letter are calling for all charges against demonstrators to be dropped, and for the University to conduct a public review of university protocols tied to policing. They will also be sending copies of the letter above to UB’s Student Conduct office, and the Chair of the Faculty Senate.
It had been reported that 15 people were arrested outside Hochstetter Hall on Wednesday, May 1 after they were asked to leave protests. Of the arrests on Wednesday, eight of those were people are unaffiliated with UB and seven were UB students.
The University had made a statement following the May 1 protest that said, "The university recognizes and respects the right to protest afforded under the First Amendment. However, those members of the university community and visitors who wish to express their viewpoints through picketing and other forms of demonstration are permitted to peacefully do so but must not violate the provisions of the Rules for the Maintenance of Public Order of the SUNY Board of Trustees and must adhere to UB’s Picketing and Assembling Policy, including the prohibition of overnight assemblies, and indoor and outdoor encampments."
The Muslim Public Affairs Council Western New York also condemned the police action at UB. They issued a statement that said, in part, "The forced removal of the students by Police seems to be a clear violation of their First Amendment rights, especially since they were exercising their rights peacefully as evidenced by circulating videos and reports by the media."
To read the full statement click here.
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