IU students and faculty gather in front of Bryan Hall on Indiana Avenue calling for the resignation of IU President Pamela Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav, and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty. (Devan Ridgway, WTIU News)
At Indiana University, students and faculty are pressuring the university to divest from Israel. Similar demonstrations are happening at college campuses across the country including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Arizona State University, and more.
Our coverage of the protest at IU is available here.
A number of organizations, state representatives, Bloomington and IU officials have weighed in on the protests on IU’s campus since Friday, April 26.
Here is a compilation of statements made.
Indiana University faculty and organizations:
The IU Media School faculty wrote an open letter to IU President Pamela Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav, and Faculty President Colin Johnson on Sunday, April 29.
Dear President Whitten, Provost Shrivastav, and Faculty President Johnson,
The below open letter has been endorsed by an overwhelming majority of faculty in the Media School, including the Journalism unit, the Communication Science unit, the Media Arts and Production unit, and the Cinema and Media Studies units. Thank you for your consideration of our position and requests.
An Open Letter Regarding the University’s Response to Protests on Dunn Meadow – April 28, 2024
The overwhelming majority of faculty in The Media School, with support from select emeriti and retired faculty, condemn the university administration’s repressive crackdown on protests in Dunn Meadow. Administrative response has grown increasingly militarized and threatening to student safety, with at least one Media School student among those who have been injured by police over the past several days.
IU’s Board of Trustees in 1969 designated Dunn Meadow as a public forum, and since then it has been the site of countless vigorous demonstrations of public expression. Such demonstrations are a hallmark both of a dynamic intellectual environment and our treasured rights as citizens under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The recent protests were not the first to involve participants setting up tents and supplies in anticipation of a lengthy demonstration, but sadly, this is the first time in recent memory that the IU administration reacted with such brute force. The administration has crossed a red line by choosing an authoritarian stance that is antithetical to the mission of an institution of higher learning. In so doing, it has damaged the university’s credibility and moral center.
The administration’s decision to call in riot troops to assault and arrest students and faculty who are protesting peacefully has shattered our university’s most cherished values, and authorizing armed police on campus rooftops has endangered us all. In choosing intimidation, the university has violated the rights of academic freedom and freedom of expression. And in summarily banning arrestees from campus for one year, it has ignored fundamental rights of due process.
By justifying these decisions under the guise of a questionable last-minute policy change, the administration has also demonstrated contempt for our core principle of shared governance. Further, given the nature of the policy change, it bears the characteristics of a content-discrimination action, the kind that courts have for many years found unconstitutional. The university not only endangers the campus by over-reacting but also risks financial loss when arrested students and faculty inevitably file lawsuits.
As a faculty expressly charged with teaching our students about these values in the pursuit of journalism and other expressions of public communication, we strongly dissent from these anti-democratic acts. How can we instill respect for core principles of democratic life when our own administration fails to live up to them? We call on the IU administration to halt further police action and surveillance, apologize to those arrested and reinstate their campus access, and restore the previous policy regarding Dunn Meadow demonstrations. We further call on the Bloomington Faculty Council to investigate these violations of faculty governance, academic freedom, freedom of expression and due process, and call for those responsible to be held accountable. It is critical that we expose the root of this shameful chapter in IU’s history.
Rick VanKooten, IU’s Executive Dean in the College or Arts and Sciences sent an email Monday, April 29.
Dear College faculty and graduate student instructors,
Following up on my message from yesterday, and given the current situation on campus and the distress caused for many of our community, we offer the following guidance regarding final exams and other assessments of students during finals week.
The default position is for instructors to follow their syllabus and final exam schedule/mode as previously communicated to students. However, the instructor of record may make alternate arrangements as they deem appropriate for a student or students. If alternate arrangements are made, we recommend that such options be offered to all students in the class and these options be such that they work to the benefit of students. For multi-section courses, we recommend that options be made available uniformly across all sections and receive approval from the chair or director of undergraduate studies.
The College has received inquiries about students who have been arrested for trespass due to actions taken by police and campus-level administration. The guidance we received from Kathy Adams Riester, Associate Vice Provost for Student Life and Dean of Students, is that students in this situation may request permission from their instructors to take their final exams virtually. While it remains at the discretion of each instructor to decide whether to allow this, we urge instructors to work with students in these challenging times.
Rick Van Kooten
Executive Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Physics
State Representatives:
State Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) wrote an opinion piece, published in the Bloomingtonian Friday, April 26.
He wrote in disagreement with IU’s policy change, banning use of temporary structures in Dunn Meadow. The new policy was passed Monday April 24, a day before pro-Palestinian protests began in Dunn Meadow.
Pierce wrote:
“Yesterday, the Indiana University administration betrayed more than 50 years of support for free expression on campus by choosing to use force to shut down a peaceful protest and arresting students and faculty exercising their First Amendment rights.
“A University policy that has designated Dunn Meadow as a ‘public forum for expression on all subjects’ since 1969 was blatantly violated by the leaders of the University without justification. A policy that has withstood anti-Vietnam War protests, months-long shanty towns to protest apartheid in South Africa, the Gulf War, and numerous other controversies was summarily changed by an unknown committee with no public notice or input."
He continued:
“President Whitten must correct this grievous violation of First Amendment rights by requesting all criminal charges against those arrested be dropped and rescinding any year-long bans from campus that have been issued against the protesters."
State Rep. Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) issued a statement Friday, April 26.
“I am deeply concerned with the arrests of students, staff and faculty for exercising their First Amendment rights in Dunn Meadow on IU Bloomington’s campus. Bringing Indiana State Police officers in militarized riot equipment to monitor and disperse peaceful protestors has further escalated tensions.
“The widely reported change in policy regarding tents and structures by IU’s Administration on the eve of these protests—which was then used as justification to arrest peaceful protestors and ban them from campus property for a year—is incredibly disturbing. Free speech is only protected for all when there are clear and consistent rules enforced—not when rules are changed overnight and established processes are ignored.
“The rights to peaceful assembly, free speech and due process are guaranteed by our Constitution and have been historically upheld by our university. I strongly urge the IU Administration to protect the First Amendment rights of students, staff and faculty, with whom I stand in solidarity.”
The Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus said Sunday, April 28:
"What we are seeing on the news and hearing from firsthand accounts gives us great concern that First Amendment Rights and even personal safety could be at risk on the Indiana University Campus. While we understand this is a fluid situation we still worry about the sheer amount of police in riot gear, including snipers, called in to manage what has been reported as a peaceful protest.
“We are concerned for the safety of students, faculty and staff and for their ongoing rights to free speech. Students should be able to voice their views on campus in non-violent ways without fear of retribution. The First Amendment is one of the founding blocks to a successful democracy and this infringement on demonstration, in our opinion, is a violation of both state and federal constitutional rights.
"The widespread reporting of the administration suddenly changing a decades-long policy that has allowed for peaceful demonstrations, even overnight demonstrations, is cause for concern. This is a policy that has protected free speech for students, faculty and staff throughout protests in opposition to controversial issues like the Vietnam War, apartheid in South Africa, the Gulf War and more. We ask Indiana University to immediately take actions to return peace and safety to campus and restore the right to protest peacefully to all who study or work there.
“In the meantime, we call on Indiana University to immediately deescalate the situation and ask all police to leave room for peaceful protesting. The wellbeing and rights of all students, faculty and staff must be protected."
Local Officials and organizations:
CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center:
"CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center Statement on Rising Antisemitism Across Indiana, the United States, and globally, hate and antisemitism are spreading at an alarming rate.
As the sole Holocaust Museum in the state of Indiana, we must denounce all forms of hatred, especially when directed at Jewish communities. It is distressing that in 2024, we must address acts reminiscent of the 1930s and 1940s. We must stand with our Jewish friends, family, and communities against this vitriol and violence.
CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center recognizes the importance of peaceful protest and free speech. However, when hate speech and calls for harm become normalized, it undermines democracy. The alarming actions on American campuses, marked by displays of Jew-hatred, have become unsafe and unsettling.
It's crucial to acknowledge that in some cases, non-student groups are infiltrating these protests, exacerbating lawlessness.
All students, no matter their race, ethnicity, or religion, have the unequivocal right to feel safe, welcome, respected, and supported at their place of learning. When these factors are stripped away, we are allowing for racism and ethnic discrimination to become acceptable.
April 25, 1933, began the Nazi initiative to forbid Jewish students from attending schools and universities. We think of our founder, Eva Mozes Kor, and her sisters, who were subjected to relentless taunting at the hands of their classmates and teacher before being barred from attending school. We will not stand idly by and allow this history to repeat itself.
In facing injustice, our approach must be peaceful yet unwavering, prioritizing education and fostering open dialogue, even in challenging circumstances. Our voices advocating for unity and acceptance, alongside our stance against antisemitism, are powerful tools. We must not stand as passive bystanders, but rather come together in solidarity to build a community where everyone feels secure and appreciated.
We pray for a swift end to the tragic events that are unfolding during this time of unrest. May we work towards Eva’s goal of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world.
“We must act with a definite purpose and a common goal for the sake of ourselves and others. It is up to us to actively teach today's world, especially our youth, WHY respect and common decency for everyone, regardless of race, religion, or any other difference, is so important.” - Eva Kor
This quote is from a speech Eva composed for the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.
Eva passed away (2019) six months before being able to share these words."
Mayor Kerry Thompson issued a statement:
"I hope that in the future, there will be greater communication and collaboration with our team when Indiana University undertakes actions that affect all of Bloomington, not just campus. I stand with the protestors’ right to free speech, their right to assemble, and I ask that any future police involvement happens only when all de-escalation paths have been exhausted.”
Bloomington City Council sent an open letter to IU's Pamela Whitten and Rahul Shrivastav Monday, April 29
We, the undersigned Bloomington City Council Members, are writing to express our common opinion regarding recent actions of the Indiana University administration in regard to peaceful demonstrations in Dunn Meadow on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. Since 1969, IU policy has allowed peaceful demonstrations in Dunn Meadow, including those using tents and signs, on a broad range of issues. On April 24, 2024, one day prior to a planned rally, President Pamela Whitten convened an ad-hoc committee to review and rapidly change these long standing rules and norms regarding free speech in Dunn Meadow.
According to President Whitten’s letter to faculty members the following day: “The committee affirmed the right of peaceful protest, with the additional recommendation that temporary or permanent installation of structures in Dunn Meadow (including, but not limited to posters, tents, etc.) at any time must be approved in advance by the university and, if approved, adhere to the guidelines provided by the university.” President Whitten followed through on these recommendations to change the policy. These changes were made without transparency or adequate process to involve affected stakeholders, including IU faculty, staff, and students, most of whom are residents of Bloomington.
This change is a severe departure from over 50 years of IU policy, as well as IU and Bloomington community norms regarding free speech and nonviolent protest. The context under which the new policy was instituted indicates that the new rules were meant to directly target the April 25 rally and its subject matter, violating Bloomington residents’ First Amendment rights. We denounce these actions and demand that the new policy be immediately rescinded.
We understand that President Whitten requested that Indiana State Police enforce the newly revised policies regarding daytime tents in Dunn Meadow on April 25 and on subsequent days. According to the many videos and photos taken during the protests, and the reports from people at the scene, the Indiana State Police response used force far in excess of what was necessary to enforce the new campus rules. The large number of police officers, the weapons displayed and used by the officers, and their forceful actions to arrest protesters only served to escalate the situation. Their violent response to peaceful protest is unacceptable. We demand that no criminal charges be brought against peaceful protesters, that related bans from the IUB campus be immediately revoked, and that all disciplinary charges against peaceful protesters in the IU system be dropped.
We, as elected representatives of the residents of Bloomington (including IU students, faculty, and staff), decry the display of and use of force by the Indiana State Police during the rally as well as the IU administration’s denial of free speech rights in Dunn Meadow. We want our residents to be safe, especially as they exercise their civil liberties. We swore an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, including the First Amendment. The actions of IU President Whitten’s administration in recent days have been harmful to our community. We expect better. Bloomington deserves better.
Sincerely, Isabel Piedmont-Smith, District 1, President
Andy Ruff, At Large, Vice President
Matt Flaherty, At Large
Kate Rosenbarger, District 2
Hopi Stosberg, District 3, Parliamentarian
Dave Rollo, District 4
Courtney Daily, District 5
Sydney Zulich, District 6
Bloomington City Council member Sydney Zulich issued a statment Monday, April 29. Zulich is the only Jewish Bloomington city council member.
Statement Regarding the Violation of First Amendment Rights on IUB Campus
"Due to a quick escalation of events, it has been difficult to verify specific information on how events at Dunn Meadow have unfolded. The following is my current understanding of the timeline and course of events, and thus what I will be responding to:*
After discovering a group of students’ plans to host a peaceful protest in Dunn Meadow, President Whitten convened an ad hoc committee to change the procedure on what is and is not allowed in Dunn, thus overturning 50+ years of precedent in both policy and community norms. The administration then failed to alert students, faculty, and staff to a policy change that took place less than 24 hours prior to the start of the protest. At this point, both IUPD and State Police were deployed, resulting in the arrest of over 50 students, faculty, and staff. I am specifically referring to new rules that prevent tents and other temporary or permanent structures from being constructed in the area at all times, as opposed to the previous policy that only barred encampments from the hours of 11 PM to 6 AM.
The 1969 policy is the following: “Any sign, symbol or structure which is either (a) continually carried or (b) taken away from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., may be used in the Assembly Ground, day or night, to express any point of view on any subject, with or without advance notice, within the limits of applicable laws or regulations.”
The new policy reads: “No unapproved temporary or permanent structures are permitted, including but not limited to tents.”
After 50 years of precedent, it is impossible to look at this change as anything less than blatant discrimination and an unacceptable violation of the first amendment. We do not get to pick and choose the circumstances under which we uphold the Constitution of the United States: a document that I swore to protect when I began my term as the Bloomington City Council Representative of District 6. There is nothing more American than the First Amendment. Nothing more American than Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Assembly.
I believe that the minute a leader chooses to prioritize procedure over people, is the same minute that leader has failed. President Whitten and her administration have not only failed us in this regard, but have proven that they are willing to weaponize procedures with the goal of targeting specific members of our IU community. I observed over five hours of protesting this weekend, and saw no evidence of violence or weapons. This was a peaceful protest.
I have been thinking a lot about civil disobedience recently. In my final thoughts, I want to leave my community with a few quotes from historical leaders whom I admire:“An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so.” – Mahatma Gandhi“An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr“Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.” – Howard Zinn
“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.” – Aristotle“It was civil disobedience that won them their civil rights.” – Tariq Ali District 6, it is the honor of a lifetime to represent you. I am so proud and humbled to represent a people that are willing to sacrifice so much to stand up for what they believe in. A people that have remained peaceful in the face of violence. My only hope is that I can lead in a way that will make you as proud of me, as I am of you.
With Love,
Council-Member Sydney Zulich
The Monroe County NAACP issued a statement Sunday, April 28.
Monroe County NAACP denounces arrest of peaceful protesters.
Whereas;
- Since 1968 the Monroe County Branch of the NAACP has opposed abuse of power and discriminatory practices in Monroe County.
- On April 25, 2024, Indiana University caused the arrest of over 33 arrests with dozens more since then of peaceful protesters expressing their views in Dunn Meadow, an area designated for such purposes since 1969.
- IU purports to have changed the protest policy on the day of the arrests without due process or advance notice to those arrested, to the IU Student Government, or to the IU Faculty, manifesting a total disregard for the interests of those who make up the academic institution of IU.
- IU called in the Indiana State Police to carry out the arrests, rather than utilizing the Indiana University Police Department, in whose jurisdiction these cases clearly fell.
- Calling in the State Police deprived the protesters of the benefits of the special training IUPD receives in de-escalating confrontations and working within the IU disciplinary process, rather than seeking criminal prosecution.
- Those student protesters have been banned from campus without any opportunity to be heard, thus unjustly keeping them from completing their coursework and, in some cases, denying them graduation this Spring.
- All these acts in violation of student rights, civil rights, and human rights have been carried out by an IU administration that now stands against the values of free expression and learning that have characterized Indiana University for over 250 years.
Therefore, the Monroe County Branch of the NAACP #3062:
- Denounces the arrest of demonstrators under these circumstances.
- In light of the gross violation of the protesters’ rights, demands that Indiana University:
* Immediately drop criminal charges against peaceful protesters.
* Immediately drop disciplinary charges against peaceful protesters within the IU system.
* Immediately rescind any peaceful protesters' actions barring any enrolled students from campus.
All of which is set forth this 28 day of April 2024.
Monroe County Branch, NAACP
Jim Sims, 1st Vice President
William Morris, Chair, Legal Redress Committee
This article will be updated. If you see a statement that you think should be added, please email news@indianapublicmedia.org.
