UT lays out detailed rules for pro-Palestine activists calling for divestment from Israel
For the first time since pro-Palestine demonstrations began May 1 on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus, university officials have given explicit permission for the People’s School for Gaza to use the Student Union lawn.
But permission is only being given to the demonstrators between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., the same timeframe in which people already are allowed to gather on state property before Tennessee's law against overnight "camping" kicks in.
UT has used sandwich board signs placed near the demonstrations to explain to students the provisions of the camping law and the felony consequences of violating it. Additional text was added May 7 saying the university is reserving the Student Union lawn for the group until May 11.
The signs say the university’s decision shows commitment to “recognizing individuals’ rights to free speech and free expression and providing a safe learning environment to all.”
Demonstrators, made up mostly of students but including some community members, plan to maintain a presence on campus until UT divests from its assets tied to Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas.
What is UT's strategy for pro-Palestine demonstrators after May 11?
Some demonstrators were shocked to learn they had a reservation when a public safety kiosk (those blue-light poles around campus) broadcast a 15-minute warning message before telling demonstrators at 10 p.m. it was time to go.
Demonstrators had no idea the kiosk had speakers. Students then noticed the additional text on the back side of the board and were left wondering: What happens after May 11?
We have the answer, but it might not be a satisfactory one: Time will tell.
The university will evaluate the time, place and manner rules it posted May 7 before the May 11 deadline, Vice Chancellor for Communications Tisha Benton told Knox News. The rules could be extended past May 11 or altered, but the deadline is not meant to signify the university will try to cut off all demonstrations at all times and places after that date.
UT is balancing its obligations to maintain control of its facilities and grounds, allow First Amendment-protected speech, and create rules that will be applied to future demonstrators - and the messages they champion - that are content-neutral.
Most demonstrators on UT campus dispersing around 10 p.m. deadline
Activists have been gathering under the label of “spontaneous study sessions," in part a strategy to overcome restrictions on their free speech activities. The gatherings have been peaceful, with students discussing the Israel-Hamas war, the suffering Palestinians are enduring under Israel's blockade and military attacks on the Gaza Strip, and how to amplify their voices.
The study sessions have been taking place at the Student Union lawn ever since seven students and two community members were arrested May 3 while demonstrating on the College of Law lawn. They were later released.
Most demonstrators have been dispersing around the 10 p.m. deadline, but Andreas Bastias was among those who stuck around a little longer May 7. Bastias is not a UT student but said he believes his rights allow him to stay on campus as long as he wants.
“Just because I’m holding a sign that’s expressing some belief doesn’t mean I can’t sit out here and read,” Bastias told Knox News.
Police came to talk to him just before 11 p.m., giving him a 10-minute warning. He left university property about 11:25 p.m. after a regular member of the activist group arrived and talked with him privately for several minutes.
Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee lays out detailed rules for demonstrations
