Tents in the pro-Palestinian “Gaza solidarity encampment” on the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill campus remained up into the evening Monday, marking 24 continuous hours that they have stood despite being in violation of university policy.

The encampment has stood on Polk Place, the main quad in the central part of the UNC campus, since Friday morning. It is organized by the UNC chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and includes members of the SJP campus chapters at NC State University and Duke University, as well.

The encampment is similar to those on college campuses nationwide, including at Columbia University, which became a flashpoint of pro-Palestinian student activism in recent weeks. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested at various campuses in relation to protests against the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, launched a terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 Israeli civilians, with 240 hostages being taken.

Since then, Israel has dropped thousands of bombs in Gaza. More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Members of the encampment at UNC deconstructed their tents Friday after negotiating with university administrators, but then put them back up Sunday evening following a pro-Palestinian rally and march that drew hundreds to campus.

Throughout the afternoon Monday, organizers warned the group that “escalation” and arrests were likely and “imminent,” but no such measures had materialized as of 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Members of the encampment who were willing to risk arrest, indicated by wearing a red wristband, gathered near the tents around 2 p.m., while those not willing to do so remained at a distance. Those wearing orange wristbands were willing to serve as “jail support.”

UNC Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications Beth Keith, who walked around the encampment on at least two separate occasions Monday, would not comment on whether potential arrests were planned. UNC police vehicles were seen in a parking lot adjacent to the quad throughout the day.

The university’s media relations department did not respond to an email from The Raleigh News & Observer on Monday asking whether administrators would ask for the tents to be taken down.

Violations of university policy

...continued

©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.