The Tufts administration has imposed an “interim suspension” on Students for Justice in Palestine, as announced in an Instagram post by SJP on Friday evening.
“As evil and ridiculous as this suspension is, it is nothing compared to the violence our university supports in Palestine. It is Palestinian children who are being rushed to destroyed hospitals en masse all with snipers bullets in their heads and it is them not us that we want the focus to be on,” a representative for SJP wrote in a statement to the Daily.
Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, provided further context regarding the university’s decision.
“Tufts University placed the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group on interim suspension due to multiple violations of university policies,” Collins wrote.
According to Collins, these violations include an SJP Instagram post from Sept. 30 depicting individuals holding assault rifles where the group called for students to “Join the Student Intifada” and “escalate” at a protest scheduled for Oct. 7; the group’s march through the Science and Engineering Complex and blocking the entrance to another campus building during a demonstration on Sept. 12 and “ongoing non-compliance” with previous disciplinary actions the group faces from protests last spring. The group had already been placed on a “hold” due to these violations, Collins said.
“The suspension will remain in effect until the case is fully resolved. During this time, SJP must halt all activities, events, and meetings. Any attempt to continue operating during this suspension will result in serious disciplinary consequences for both the organization and its leaders,” Collins wrote.
Shortly after their suspension, Tufts SJP released a petition demanding the club’s immediate reinstatement.
The petition description reads, “Suspension of tuft SJP is an attempt to silence all student voices educating and agitating against genocide. ... A movement cannot be suspended.”
In his statement, Collins emphasized that Tufts continues to support student demonstrations that meet the university’s protest guidelines, referencing an Aug. 22 message where the university announced updates to its protest regulations.
“At the start of this academic year, Tufts University emphasized its expectations for student protests and advocacy,” Collins wrote. “We provided clear guidelines to ensure a learning environment free from disruption, while supporting students’ interests in speech and demonstration.”
Despite their suspension, Tufts SJP still plans to host a protest and sit-in on Oct. 7 at 12 p.m. on the Academic Quad. As per their Instagram, the protest marks the kickoff event for a subsequent “Week of Rage” from Oct. 7 to Oct. 13.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include mention of an SJP Instagram post from Sept. 30 depicting individuals holding weapons as part of the university’s reason for suspending the group.
