Multiple Emory University buildings on the Quadrangle, including Convocation Hall, Candler Library and the Michael C. Carlos Museum, were found to be vandalized with spray-painted graffiti early Monday morning. It is unknown who is responsible for the graffiti, which included phrases such as “Free Palestine,” “Stop Cop City,” “Fire Fenves” and “Emory must divest.”
“Stop Cop City” refers to the movement protesting the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Emory Stop Cop City (ESCC) has protested University President Gregory Fenves’ involvement, as he sits on the Atlanta Committee for Progress, which declared support for the training center in 2021. Other markings were in reference to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, in which over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel that the Emory Police Department is currently investigating the incidents of vandalism.
“The graffiti violates the University’s Respect for Open Expression Policy, Emory University codes of conduct and Georgia state law,” Diamond wrote. “Emory will hold any identified perpetrators accountable to the full extent of university policies and the law as the police investigation moves forward.”
The open expression policy states that individuals violate the policy if they “violate federal, state, local or other applicable law,” “interfere unreasonably with the general operations of the University” or “cause injury” to property.
“Campus Services has covered the vandalism with paper and is in the process of having the markings removed and the buildings repaired,” Diamond wrote.
This comes after an academic year defined by Emory community advocacy against Cop City and the Israel-Hamas war.
The Wheel reached out to ESCC due to their past calls against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, as well as Students for Socialism, the Emory Israel Public Affairs Committee and Emory Hillel because of their involvement in the University community’s response to the war in Gaza, but none of the groups responded to requests for comment by press time. Additionally, Emory Students for Justice in Palestine and Eagles for Israel declined to comment on the situation.
