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Protesters Organize Vigil In Opposition to IU’s New “Expressive Activity” Policy
By Jasmine Wright
On September 8th, at exactly 11 p.m, 126 people of all ages and backgrounds gather in front of Indiana Universities Sample Gates eager to start the Sunday Vigil, but a new expressive activity policy has Superintendent for Public Safety Benjamin Hunter surveying the scene and arguing with an anonymous protester.
“Policies are not laws,“ said the protester. “A policy that is unjust should be violated.”
The Associate Vice Provost for Involvement and Belonging, Vicka Bell-Robinson, outlines the policy itself to protestors.
“University policy is that we’re only allowed to publicly demonstrate between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. It is now after 11 p.m.,” said Bell-Robinson.
Although it meant possible arrests, protesters stepped onto IU campus and continued their Sunday Vigil. Many protesters took turns speaking out about the policy, especially Guy Loftman, who served as IU student body president and organized IU’s Students for Democracy Society Chapter. Loftman hosted the Vigil and was a main speaker. He wore a hat with the word “woke” in all caps across it.
“I’m woke, or at least I’m as woke as I know how to be,” said Loftman. “I believe in equal rights for everybody. I believe that nobody should be discriminated against because of their race or their gender or the way they like to present themselves. I believe that America should not be an imperialist power that suppresses other nations. I believe that this is something that’s on all of us.”
Loftman wanted to start the Vigil by reading the names of those who have been reported to Indiana University for their involvement with protesting and assembling on campus.
“My second ceremonial act will be reading of the names of those who have been reported or self reported to the university for exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and freedom to assemble,” said Loftman. “As I read each name and their association with the University, please join me in saying, we stand with you.”
Former attorney and social justice advocate Guy Loftman sports a hat with the word “woke” in all capital letters printed on it (Photo by Jasmine Wright).
Many more students and faculty were arrested earlier this summer at the encampment located on Dunn Meadow. Jesse, an IU Divestment Coalition member, has been protesting for Palestine since the encampment was built, and now stands alongside the green feather movement too.
“I was really shocked by the police presence in response to peaceful protesters who are out there to support the civilians in danger in Gaza who are being killed,” said Jesse.
Jesse says the IU Divestment Coalition is now working on a petition aiming for 5,000 signatures by the next Board of Trustees meeting. One of the points on the petition is calling for the resignation of Pamela Whitten, Carrie Docherty and Rahul Shrivastav. Many protesters took turns speaking out about both Palestine and the policy during the vigil. One protester invited others to write the names of children who have died in Gaza on the sidewalk.
“This university is not only invested in genocide, it will not even let us mourn the martyrs of that genocide, a genocide not just in Gaza, but all of Palestine,” said the protester.
Another protester started taking his students on a four hour bus trip to Michigan to see and learn about Samia Halaby, a world-renowned Palestinian artist and Indiana University alum. IU had canceled Halaby’s exhibition earlier this year. The exhibition had been planned for 3 years and over 9,000 signatures were taken to reinstate it but IU did not budge. Loftman speaks on professors protesting against the university.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful. I think finding hacks around the university’s refusal to allow people to think and obstructing people’s thinking, then let’s find a way around it, even if it means driving hours up to Michigan, where that hasn’t happened,” said Loftman.
The vigil ended with a sing-a-long. Leading the sing-a-long, William Morris, explains what the song symbolizes.
“There was a gentleman from on campus, a professor, who gave us the words to sing. So we just took a traditional sort of song, We Shall Overcome. And then sort of tried to create a more inclusive sort of thing,” said Morris.
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By WFHBBy Jasmine Wright
On September 8th, at exactly 11 p.m, 126 people of all ages and backgrounds gather in front of Indiana Universities Sample Gates eager to start the Sunday Vigil, but a new expressive activity policy has Superintendent for Public Safety Benjamin Hunter surveying the scene and arguing with an anonymous protester.
“Policies are not laws,“ said the protester. “A policy that is unjust should be violated.”
The Associate Vice Provost for Involvement and Belonging, Vicka Bell-Robinson, outlines the policy itself to protestors.
“University policy is that we’re only allowed to publicly demonstrate between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. It is now after 11 p.m.,” said Bell-Robinson.
Although it meant possible arrests, protesters stepped onto IU campus and continued their Sunday Vigil. Many protesters took turns speaking out about the policy, especially Guy Loftman, who served as IU student body president and organized IU’s Students for Democracy Society Chapter. Loftman hosted the Vigil and was a main speaker. He wore a hat with the word “woke” in all caps across it.
“I’m woke, or at least I’m as woke as I know how to be,” said Loftman. “I believe in equal rights for everybody. I believe that nobody should be discriminated against because of their race or their gender or the way they like to present themselves. I believe that America should not be an imperialist power that suppresses other nations. I believe that this is something that’s on all of us.”
Loftman wanted to start the Vigil by reading the names of those who have been reported to Indiana University for their involvement with protesting and assembling on campus.
“My second ceremonial act will be reading of the names of those who have been reported or self reported to the university for exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and freedom to assemble,” said Loftman. “As I read each name and their association with the University, please join me in saying, we stand with you.”
Former attorney and social justice advocate Guy Loftman sports a hat with the word “woke” in all capital letters printed on it (Photo by Jasmine Wright).
Many more students and faculty were arrested earlier this summer at the encampment located on Dunn Meadow. Jesse, an IU Divestment Coalition member, has been protesting for Palestine since the encampment was built, and now stands alongside the green feather movement too.
“I was really shocked by the police presence in response to peaceful protesters who are out there to support the civilians in danger in Gaza who are being killed,” said Jesse.
Jesse says the IU Divestment Coalition is now working on a petition aiming for 5,000 signatures by the next Board of Trustees meeting. One of the points on the petition is calling for the resignation of Pamela Whitten, Carrie Docherty and Rahul Shrivastav. Many protesters took turns speaking out about both Palestine and the policy during the vigil. One protester invited others to write the names of children who have died in Gaza on the sidewalk.
“This university is not only invested in genocide, it will not even let us mourn the martyrs of that genocide, a genocide not just in Gaza, but all of Palestine,” said the protester.
Another protester started taking his students on a four hour bus trip to Michigan to see and learn about Samia Halaby, a world-renowned Palestinian artist and Indiana University alum. IU had canceled Halaby’s exhibition earlier this year. The exhibition had been planned for 3 years and over 9,000 signatures were taken to reinstate it but IU did not budge. Loftman speaks on professors protesting against the university.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful. I think finding hacks around the university’s refusal to allow people to think and obstructing people’s thinking, then let’s find a way around it, even if it means driving hours up to Michigan, where that hasn’t happened,” said Loftman.
The vigil ended with a sing-a-long. Leading the sing-a-long, William Morris, explains what the song symbolizes.
“There was a gentleman from on campus, a professor, who gave us the words to sing. So we just took a traditional sort of song, We Shall Overcome. And then sort of tried to create a more inclusive sort of thing,” said Morris.