On Nov. 8 at 4:49 a.m., the Case Western Reserve University Division of Public Safety was notified of alleged vandalism on buildings across campus. By the start of classes that day, students were reporting cases of vandalism on the Case Quad, by the main building of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and by the main entrance of George Gund Hall, the main building for the CWRU School of Law.
Found around campus were instances of red paint being applied to statues such as “Doc Oc” and “The Homeless,” as well as splatters of red and white paint along the Binary Walkway. On the side of Adelbert Hall and Gund Hall, red hand prints and posters were applied. The campus crime log also lists two other locations: the Weatherhead School of Management’s Peter B. Lewis Building and George S. Dively Buildings. The posters had messages such as “Killer Kaler Out” and “CWRU Kills Children for Blood Money.” Written words were also found along the wall of the outside courtyard to the School of Law. On the law school, there was a list of countries—“Sudan, Congo, Haiti, Lebanon!”—that start with “Palentine,” a supposed misspelling of Palestine. On the ground were the words “We are complicit in genocide.” Similarly, on the side of Millis Hall, the graffitied walls read, “Free Gaza” and “Long live the Intifada.”

In an immediate response, CWRU placed metal barriers and caution tape around the affected areas, diverting foot traffic. Contractors from Paul Davis, a restoration company, were seen power washing various surfaces throughout the day.
Reactions from the campus community greatly varied. One student on the Quad who chose to remain anonymous expressed their skepticism about vandalizing property.
“I’m not going to lie, I saw all the white and thought a bird [shat] all over the Binary Walkway. Then I saw the red and knew what it was,” they said. “I saw Doc Oc, and they vandalized [him] too. I thought that was really dumb because he didn’t do anything. I don’t think vandalism is the answer. I mean, I understand [the university is] trying to suppress protesters, but that is not the way to go about it. It’s just kind of disrespectful to vandalize.”

Another student bystander commented on the monetary costs of cleaning up the vandalism and with policing last year’s encampment. “My major issue is that a lot of money has been spent to deal with the protests. I think the money is not where I want [my tuition] to go. And what they’ve done is overkill. I’m not a fan,” the student bystander said. “They seem to respond to the protests very quickly, and it seems like it’s a priority to do whatever they can to quell the protest much quicker than any other issue on campus.”
Many students were confused by seeing the Binary Walkway, a major thoroughfare, closed off. One student said, “I thought it was the [opposing] football team because their colors [are] red and white.”
In an email sent at 1:41 p.m., President Eric Kaler stated, “Overnight, a group of individuals vandalized multiple buildings, structures and artwork on our campus with paint and glued posters, some of which included what the university considers antisemitic language or symbols.” He continued, “Any individual found to have been involved in vandalizing our campus will be subject to the relevant university conduct process and criminal charges.”
The CWRU chapter for Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the main organizers of last spring’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment, wrote on their Instagram page, “This was not a CWRU SJP action, but we applaud it unequivocally. We stand with those who refuse to let this ivory tower institution forget its complicity in GENOCIDE.”
The news of the vandalism was also covered by local news stations, with WKYC and FOX8 interviewing students about their reactions to the vandalism. Congressman Max Miller, a Republican from a neighboring district, tweeted that he had “heard from President Kaler about the despicable antisemitic violence that took place last night at @cwru. I’ve been very clear, hatred is heresy and has no place in a decent society. Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
When asked what the university deemed was antisemitic from the vandalism and the monetary cost of the restoration crews, The Observer received the following statement from the university: “The university declined to elaborate, citing the pending criminal investigation.” In comments to FOX8, the university did say that the antisemitic language was found on the “posters glued to windows and doors.”
These acts of vandalism come days after Provost and Executive Vice President Joy K. Ward’s Nov. 4 email regarding changes to the university’s posting policy. Expressive actions are still regulated by the Freedom of Expression Policy Committee. In the midst of long-standing tension between the administration and student body regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, many parties are concerned about when and if this tension will be resolved.