MADISON – As protests continue across college campuses nationwide decrying the ongoing war in Gaza, UW-Madison officials have sent an email reminding students, faculty, and staff of their campus’s protest policies.
“If you choose to protest, please be cognizant of the relevant rules and limitations,” UW-Madison Dean of Students Christina Olstad and interim campus police chief Brent Pilsch write in the joint email sent Friday. “We support your right to protest within these limitations. Failing to abide by these limitations can and will have consequences, both within our code of student conduct and more broadly under Wisconsin law.”
The email adds that the policy specifically defines and prohibits camping on university property.
Student group Students for Justice in Palestine – UW-Madison says in an Instagram post they are planning a protest Monday morning on the Library Mall to “protest against the ongoing genocide and Zionist war crimes in Gaza, and against the new wave of student repression across the country.”
Madison Police have not commented on the email. In November of 2023, a white supremacist group carrying swastika flags and other Nazi symbols marched from State Street Mall to the state capitol building. At the time, multiple callers dialed 911 to report the demonstrators, but Madison police said the group did not display any weapons.
The email comes as some protests across the nation have resulted in arrests, including in Atlanta, where police fired rubber bullets at an encampment at Emory University before arresting dozens. In New York, House Speaker Mike Johnson has called for the resignation of Columbia University President Minouche Shafik over that campus’s response to the protesting. “They have proven themselves to be incapable of achieving their basic responsibility, which is keeping students safe,” Johnson said while speaking at the university Wednesday.
While speaking with WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi, Marquette University President Mike Lovell expressed pride that, to this point, conversations regarding the war have been civil in nature on his campus. “I’m very proud that with all the conflict going on in Gaza…we haven’t seen that violence come to our campus,” said Lovell. “I do believe it’s because we really stress finding common ground with people that are different than you.”
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