Following a series of “study-in” demonstrations at the Center for Computing and Data Sciences, Students for Justice in Palestine received a formal warning from the Student Activities Office.
Students have been gathering to “bring attention to the genocide that’s been going on since Oct. 7,” as well as “76 years of apartheid occupation,” according to Noora, a senior and a member of SJP who requested The Daily Free Press use only her first name to protect her from doxxing.
The study-ins, which began on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 and have been held every Wednesday since, involved students working silently in the CDS building while wearing keffiyehs and displaying flyers with messages on their laptops.
SJP also hung up Palestinian flags and signs in the building’s windows, with messages such as “BU Divest from Death” and “There Are No Universities Left In Gaza.”
Margaret Babson, the interim director of SAO, wrote that the study-ins violated the University’s Interim Events and Demonstrations Policy in a warning email to SJP on Nov. 7. The policy states events “may not take place over more than one day (24 hours) without express written approval.”
She also wrote in an email to the Daily Free Press that a protest cannot happen two days in a row. Since SJP hosted study-ins on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, the group violated the policy.
SJP denied violating the Interim Events and Demonstrations Policy. Noora said she interpreted the policy to mean an event cannot exceed 24 continuous hours, which none of the study-ins did. The study-ins did not specify their exact end times but started at various times in the morning and would go until “late,” according to SJP’s Instagram posts.
Additionally, Babson wrote in the warning email that SJP violated the Publications and Publicity policy, which prohibits materials from being placed on windows or walls of academic buildings.
In an Instagram post, SJP wrote they complied with the policy after it was enforced by the CDS Building Manager. The post wrote that students removed flags from the CDS windows and wore them on their backs instead when asked to remove them from the CDS windows.
Babson wrote that SAO’s goal is to ensure on-campus events can be carried out in “as smooth a process as possible, and without complications” in her email to The Daily Free Press.
“It is important that our office works with all students to support their programming and events, while balancing the need to enforce policy in an equitable way,” Babson wrote.
Noora said she believed the formal warning was an attempt to silence pro-Palestinian voices.
“I would argue that the administration tends to be discriminatory towards SJP and our events simply because we advocate for the freedom of Palestine and the liberation of the Palestinian people,” Noora said.
In addition to the warning, Babson required SJP to schedule mandatory “non-disciplinary” monthly meetings with her to “discuss programs and operations.” These meetings are set to begin in November and conclude in April, with possible sanctions if missed.
“[These meetings] are intended to foster open communication about your organization’s ideas, goals, and ways to ensure compliance with university expectations,” Babson wrote.
On Nov. 10, CDS Student Government issued a statement supporting SJP on Instagram. The post stated, “Students’ decision to hold a peaceful and inclusive study session in a CDS public area embodies the spirit of the CDS building — community and conversation.”
“It was antithetical to those values upon which the data science building was built to punish a student group that decided to come together, especially in a non-disruptive form [and] in an explicitly public space,” said Vijay Fisch, the vice president of CDS Student Government.
Noora said SJP will continue to hold weekly study-ins at CDS to the best of their ability.
In addition to raising awareness of the war in Gaza, Noora said the study-ins serve to draw attention to “BU’s involvement in the genocide,” which she attributed to the University’s investments in “weapons manufacturers.”
Naimah, who requested for only her first name to be used, is a member-at-large for SJP who was present at the study-ins. She said the study-ins have been effective.
“Our study-ins have been able to garner attention both positive and negative,” said Naimah. “It has let the student body know that we’re here, that we will not be silenced.”
Mara Mellits, Megan Amato and Kayla Baltazar contributed reporting.
