Donning keffiyehs, signs and flags in support of Case Western Reserve University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and their cause, dozens of CWRU community members and supporters gathered around Wade Lagoon at noon on Sept. 18. The walkout centered around the Freedom of Expression Policy and alleged Code of Conduct charges against a student organizer in the Gaza solidarity encampment.
After holding a brief rally with two student speakers, the group marched to Euclid Avenue and then to Adelbert Road, where one participant lit a smoke flare. After chanting on the road and blocking both lanes of traffic, they returned to Wade Lagoon with CWRU, University Circle and Cleveland Police following the march.
On Aug. 6, President Eric Kaler announced via email new rules and regulations regarding protesting on CWRU’s campus—a policy which was revised on Aug. 28. Some notable aspects include requiring university approval three days prior to and a five-hour limit for all “[l]arge demonstrations.” These policies succeed a Gaza solidarity encampment set up by members of SJP and their allies at the end of the spring 2024 semester.
Now, several SJP members allege that the university is pursuing conduct charges toward leaders of the encampment, with the Sept. 18 gathering aimed at protesting the semester-long separation against Yousef Khalaf, a fourth-year student and encampment organizer.
“The administration is trying to fear monger us into overlooking their complicity in genocide. Yet their pathetic attempt at suppressing free speech has not phased our numbers, strength and strive for Palestinian liberation which is what we will show them as we march out of our classes,” SJP wrote in an Instagram post announcing the walkout on Sept. 16.
Adam, one of the walkout’s opening speakers, emphasized the unfairness in whom the university suspended.
“[The university administration used] Palestinian students such as Jad and Yousef as scapegoats for the things that hundreds … of people did at the encampment. They’re the two sole ones that especially got suspended because they’re Palestinian. There’s nothing that Yousef or Jad did … that I didn’t do that constitutes them getting suspended,” Adam said.
According to an anonymous organizer of the walkout, Khalaf was suspended a week into the fall semester after having started classes. They claimed the university prolonged Khalaf’s appeal.
“It’s an obvious breach of student rights, student liberties, and we’re being held to a standard that we as students for freedom, for the justice of Palestinian people … because the university is appeasing its donors—its capitalist interests—rather than the needs of its own student body,” they said. “We’re just shocked at how the university is so emboldened to continue to breach on student rights and not take a stand for what’s right.”
Due to restrictions under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the university was unable to confirm details regarding Khalaf’s alleged suspension.
“We can confirm nearly all individual cases related to the spring encampment and protests have been resolved, with resolutions including mostly warnings, separations and, in rare cases, persona non grata status on our campus, based on the seriousness of the actions,” the university said.
This is not the first walkout that has been advertised by SJP. On Nov. 6, 2023, SJP held a walkout where they called out the university’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. In the months leading up to the encampment, SJP received an interim loss of university recognition from the CWRU administration for allegedly posting flyers to the CWRU Spirit Wall and other campus surfaces.
The university said that SJP was clear about the Sept. 18 protest happening at locations off-campus, meaning that it was not subject to the Freedom of Expression Policy or the regulations of the Freedom of Expression Policy Committee.
“We would like to remind everyone that individuals are free to express their views in support of or opposition to any range of issues, so long as associated demonstrations on Case Western Reserve’s campus are in line with the Case Western Reserve’s procedures and operating rules and other university policies,” the university said.
The anonymous organizer hopes this protest encourages students to advocate for the pro-Palestinian movement.
“We hope students realize that with one student being scapegoated, we can’t sit back and let that happen,” they said. “We know a lot of people want to get involved, and we just can’t be scared. There’s power in standing together, and that’s what we hope to show here. We also hope to show administration that they can’t fear monger amongst the student population. We know that our strength lies in solidarity.”
Additional reporting contributed by Sports Editor Darcy Chew, Web Editor Noah Henriques, Photo Editor Clay Preusch, Social Media Content Creator Kethan Srinivasan and News Editor Zachary Treseler.