On Thursday night, University of Tennessee officials arrested nine individuals following a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the Knoxville campus. Seven of the detained were students, while the other two were not associated with the university, WATE 6 On Your Side reports. The group had assembled on the Law School lawn to protest Israel's military actions in Gaza when they were informed by the university that they were in violation of its events policy, and were trespassing.
"As communicated repeatedly today with organizers, the crowd gathered on the Law School lawn was in violation of university events policy," a statement to 10News by the UT Police Department explained. UT officials had engaged with the protesters throughout the day, alerting them of the repercussions should they remain past 9 p.m. Despite these warnings, including a final 15-minute notice, the group did not disband.
Earlier, the demonstrators, some of whom spread blankets on the ground with the intention to stay overnight, were similarly dispersed without arrests following the university's enforcement of a Tennessee law against camping on state property after 10 p.m., a measure aimed at curbing political demonstrations, according to Knox News. Subsequent to the arrests, the university erected fencing around the College of Law lawn and posted signs emphasizing their commitment to free speech and dialogue.
University leaders face demands from students to divest from companies with links to Israel, cut study abroad programs to the Israeli region, and safeguard free speech rights on campus. The arrested students were referred to student conduct and were expected to be released the same evening without any legal penalty, as defense attorney Mike Whalen disclosed to Knox News, while the two non-student individuals were issued citations for trespassing.
In a public demonstration of their stance, the university issued a statement saying, "The University of Tennessee respects individual’s rights to free speech and free expression, and is committed to the safety of all members of our campus community" as noted by 10News. This response highlights the delicate balance institutions must traverse between providing a platform for voices to be heard and enforcing policies designed for campus order and safety.
