University of Tennessee demonstrators stay until 1 a.m. with no arrests

Students and community activists gathered Friday afternoon for a pro-Palestinian demonstration and education session on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus, anticipating that some of them could be arrested by the night's end.

They left just after 1 a.m. Saturday, after drawing no police presence - other than occasional police cars driving past - and no arrests.

Having held out nearly three hours past the 10 p.m. deadline to leave the lawn outside the Student Union, the demonstrators gathered just before 1 a.m. on the grassy hill, satisfied that they were leaving on their own terms. Saying that rights "have no bedtime," the group did a "one-minute march" on the sidewalk along Cumberland Avenue, toward downtown, before dispersing with plans to return later Saturday.

Here's what happened at the demonstration throughout the evening.

Passersby rev engines, shout "USA, USA!" and taunts

12:05 a.m.: The Strip is a busy place any Friday night, and it's even busier than usual following the Zach Bryan concert at the nearby Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena.

As cars and pedestrians pass by the demonstration, some have been supportive, some have been hostile to the demonstrators.

A shirtless man waved an American flag at the demonstrators as he walked by, trailed closely by a woman who made an obscene gesture at the demonstrators.

There are about 35 demonstrators on the lawn at the Student Union in violation of the UT time, manner and place rules, and about 100 others are on the public sidewalk.

Yassin Terou, owner of the 'Nicest Place in America,' lends his support to demonstrators

11:44 p.m.: Yassin Terou, a Syrian refugee who became an American citizen in 2020, told Knox News he is determined to stand up for the rights of peaceful demonstrators because of his experience living under the autocratic rule of Bashar al-Assad.

Terou is the owner of Yassin's Falafel House, which was named the "Nicest Place in America" by Reader's Digest and Good Morning America in 2018. He was Knox News' Person of the Year in 2018, and was named Knoxvillian of the Year in 2019 by the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m staying with you today just to be with you. Not only for Gaza not only for my children, I’m staying with you because what you guys are doing is the correct thing.

"We ask for them to stop killing … what else can we stand up for in the land of Americans, in the land of the free.We want to be all together," he said.

Nervousness among demonstrators as they stay at Student Union past deadline

10:16 p.m.: There’s a clear sense of nervousness. UT graduate Abdalla Husain just directed the group to start singing another song, “Otherwise, I’ll talk out of nervousness.”

The legal observers in green hats are watching over the group. UT student Hasan Atatrah directed all people who have not spoken with them to do so now so they can be prepped for arrest.

The two attorneys are not wearing green hats and they are standing farther away, on the sidewalk.

The legal observers are collecting people’s names and numbers.

One of the legal observers walked in a circle taking a video showing all the demonstrators' faces.

Four people on three scooters drove down the sidewalk where people are gathered. One said, “F--- you” to a demonstrator on the sidewalk.

Demonstrators choosing not to risk arrest gathered to discuss strategies if police showed up. They agreed to silently stand on the public sidewalk in front of the student union.

"We are witnesses, we are support," Zaina Shams, an international UT grad student, told the crowd.

The group agreed not to escalate any tensions with officers. Some pushed back on suggestions to chant if police became aggressive.

A group of over 80 demonstrators moved to the sidewalk around 9:50 p.m. and stood in a line, careful not to clump in small groups.

Watch replay of video as demonstrators intentionally stay past Tennessee's 'camping' deadline

Knox News photojournalist Saul Young is live on campus. He captured live video showing the demonstration at the University of Tennessee's Student Union after the 10 p.m. deadline set by state law and UT administrators passed.

We will go live again if the situation changes.

University of Tennessee campus security posts broadcast warning to demonstrators

9:45 p.m.: Campus safety kiosks played a recorded message on the Student Union lawn:

"Your attention, please. It is now 9:45 p.m. Your event reservation ends in 15 minutes and your event must be concluded. Please remember that all campus spaces are subject to the state statute that prohibits camping. Thank you."

Stay silent, move to the sidewalk if you don't want to risk arrest

9:40 p.m.: As the 10 p.m. deadline to clear the lawn outside the Student Union approaches, the demonstrators are talking about how they will handle themselves if police arrive.

The plan is for anyone who doesn't wish to be arrested to migrate to the public sidewalk before 10 p.m. Those who are willing to be arrested will remain on the lawn. They will stay silent, they said, and only use chanting if they encounter violence.

Six people are on site wearing green hats labeled "National Lawyers Guild Legal Observers." They told Knox News their notes and recordings of what happens here are protected under attorney-client privilege.

'Only asses on grass,' says one group member as they discuss staying past 10 p.m. deadline set by state law and UT

9:38 p.m.: Hasan Atatrah, a UT psychology and political science student who has been a fixture at the demonstrators, suggested to the group that anyone willing to stay past the deadline and face arrest under the state's "camping" law should gather to to discuss their strategy.

The camping law, strengthened by the Tennessee Legislature after the George Floyd police accountability demonstrations in 2020, is designed to limit the scope of protests. The law bans even preparing to set up a camp, including "laying down a sleeping bag, blanket or other material used for bedding" at any time of the day. The law specifically bans camping on state property from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Demonstrators have talked about removing anything from the site outside the Student Union that meets the definition of the camping law, including blankets and tables.

There are about 30 people in the group that has said it is considering facing arrest, and they are connecting with lawyers on site who are there to observe and advise.

Demonstrators talk about ignoring time, place and manner restrictions, even at risk of arrest

9:24 p.m.: There have been signals tonight the study sessions could shift into more direct action, even before 10 p.m., when the university says the group is no longer allowed at its spot on the Student Union lawn.

A group of about 85 current UT students, alumni and other community members gathered at 8 p.m. for a “People’s Assembly,” where speakers called on students to be more disruptive in their protest against the university’s ties to Israel. Instead of strategizing how to deescalate their demonstrations, they strategized how to escalate them.

The group framed itself as part of a tradition of student protests during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.

“Do you think that when they walked across the bridge in Selma, they weren’t shutting down the road?” Maha Ayesh, a UT alumna and local lawyer, asked the group. “Do you think that protests are ever designed to not be disruptive? The purpose of protest and the purpose of civil disobedience is to be disruptive in a nonviolent way.”

The unofficial organization, which calls itself the People’s School for Gaza, also began acting more like a long-term advocacy group. It called votes by show of hand to institute twice-weekly meetings, educational outreach programs and big picture goals.

Frustrated with the university’s time, place and manner restrictions on free speech, designed to assure the uninterrupted function of the university, the People’s School of Gaza is discussing preparations to break them, even if it meant some could be arrested.

“You are part of a proud tradition in this country, and history always looks back at these moments and they do not side with the authoritarians and the police,” Ayesh told the students in the group. “They side with students who are protesting war.”

More people join demonstration, discuss different forms of escalation

9:11 p.m.: The group that has assembled on the lawn outside the Student Union has grown to about 85 people, according to Knox News reporters on site, and members are discussing different forms of escalating their protest, including whether to march and whether any members are willing to be arrested.

Group assembles at the University of Tennessee campus

8:52 p.m.: About 60 people are on the Student Union lawn to share a Shabbat dinner. Streams of people are walking through campus on their way to a Zach Bryan concert at nearby Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena.

“People's assembly,” activist Abdalla Husain said, is in session to discuss “a piece of history that there’s an effort to rewrite.” That myth he’s debunking is that antisemitism has always been a part of Arab Muslim culture.

The group's mission statement: "We are diverse peoples of conscience who stand for education and peaceful action. We demand UTK’s divestment from weapons manufacturers and the corporations complicit in the continuous horrific Palestinian genocide."

Among the companies the group singled out are Bae System, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and RTX, formerly Raytheon.

In a May 7 letter, UT told Students for Justice in Palestine that it has no direct investments in companies in Israel, and that money for investments comes from donations, not tuition. UT said investments are made globally through third-party funds and it estimates 0.2% of the portfolio is invested in Israel-based companies.

Additionally, the university said it does not have any faculty-led study abroad programs to Israel, and its affiliate provider, the University Studies Abroad Consortium, has no plans to lead a program there next year.

The university affirmed it recognizes SJP’s right to assemble and would protect the group's First Amendment rights. However, it will continue to enforce state law and university policy.

UT didn’t make a direct statement on the Israel-Hamas war as requested by the group and said institutional statements are governed by the university’s Philosophy on Institutional and Leadership Statements. The philosophy says UT will refrain from commenting on disputed political, moral and religious topics unless it directly impacts its core mission.

What happened in the past week

Groups of students and community members have been demonstrating on UT’s campus since May 1. A group has been peacefully gathering as a “spontaneous study session” on the Student Union lawn.

Members are demanding UT divest from companies and entities with ties to Israel, specifically weapons manufacturers involved in the Israel-Hamas war.

Dozens came together this afternoon and remain on the Student Union lawn to plan and show support for the people of Gaza amid Israel's yearslong blockade and the current offensive on Palestinian territory.

President Joe Biden paused shipments of heavy payload bombs and artillery shells to Israel on May 8 over humanitarian concerns, and today administration officials said Israel's use of American-made weapons in attacks that have killed tens of thousands of civilians is unacceptable.

Israel has sought to root out Hamas leaders in Palestine after the militant group's Oct. 7 attack on Israeli soil that killed about 1,200 people. About 250 people remain in captivity after they were seized as hostages by Hamas. The Israeli offensive has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, the Gaza Health Ministry told Reuters on May 6. The ministry has said two-thirds of those killed were women and children.

On the night of May 2, nine people - seven students and two community members - were arrested. The students were referred for student conduct investigations and the others were given criminal trespass citations.

There have been no arrests since that night even though the demonstrations have been steady.

Knox News reporters Areena Arora, Daniel Dassow, Angela Dennis, Hayden Dunbar, Silas Sloan and Devarrick Turner all contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee demonstrators stay to 1 a.m. with no arrests