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Pro-Palestinian protests are continuing for a third day on Emory University’s Quadrangle after the Emory Police Department (EPD) arrested 28 protestors during an encampment on April 25 with the help of the Atlanta Police Department and Georgia State Patrol. EPD and University administration are under fire for the decision to arrest the protestors, with national news outlets reporting on the situation and videos gaining thousands of views on social media.
The arrested protestors were released yesterday afternoon after having their first appearance in the DeKalb County Magistrate Court that morning. Most protestors were charged with trespassing, while others faced disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement charges. Each charged protestor will appear in state court within the next 10 days.
Additionally, the Emory College of Arts and Sciences’ College Senate approved a motion yesterday afternoon to vote on whether they still have confidence in University President Gregory Fenves to continue his duties. The official vote will happen next week.
10:30 p.m.
Protestors began blasting “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. (2007) on a speaker. As the music was playing, three unidentified protestors spray painted “LAND BACK,” “FUK USA,” “DEATH 2 [ISRAEL]” and an anarchy symbol on the side of Convocation Hall. The unidentified protestors then walked to a Wheel reporter who was sitting on the commencement stage structure and spray painted his arm.
Protestors yelled at the individuals that they are not Emory students and chanted “Shame, shame.”
Open Expression observers then requested that all Emory students leave the Quad, prompting a large group of the demonstrators to disperse. Two Emory Police Department cars also arrived.
Vice President of Communications and Marketing Luke Anderson told Wheel reporters on the Quad that he believed the protestors who spray painted Convocation Hall were not part of the Emory community.
— Lauren Yee
Three unidentified protestors spray painted the side of Convocation Hall. The protestors are not affiliated with Emory University, according to Vice President of Communications and Marketing Luke Anderson. (Clement Lee/Managing Editor)
10:00 p.m.
A couple of speakers came up with different plans for the protest and were conflicted on how to proceed. A speaker said if the protestors did not take action now, they would be “betraying the Palestinian people.” Additionally, the speaker said the protestors were “addicted to losing.” Following her speech, protestors began chanting “Free free Palestine” and “Escalate for Palestine.”
Another speaker said that while escalation is needed, it should be intentional.
“Many of us have never experienced police violence before,” the speaker said. “Students at Emory come from privileged backgrounds and are not prepared. We need to be better organized. It will happen again and we need to be prepared for that violence.”
The speaker questioned if the protestors should escalate at the moment with no plan, with predominantly students of color present. She urged protestors to come up with an organized plan that centralizes Palestinian voices and the voices of people of color. The speaker also called out white protestors chanting “escalate, escalate” with no plan.
A third speaker said the protests will continue tomorrow with “more numbers because someone is coming.”
When a protestor asked how many people would stay past midnight regardless of what would happen, only about two of the 60 demonstrators raised their hand. Protestors conceded that they would not be staying past midnight.
— Lauren Yee
9:25 p.m.
Three Campus Services employees arrived with a ladder to take down the signs strung up on the structure for the commencement stage. A group of 60 protestors linked arms around the structure and chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Free, free Palestine, long live Palestine.”
“Our only goal is to keep the art,” a speaker said.
Protestors erupted with cheers and claps as Campus Services left with the ladder. A speaker announced that protestors were free to leave. Some protesters began to disperse, but others continued to link arms and sat in front of the structure.
— Lauren Yee
Students link arms around the commencement stage structure to prevent Campus Services employees from removing their signs. (Clement Lee/Managing Editor)
9:15 p.m.
One of the discussion group leaders suggested a plan to congregate on the other side of the Quad at 9:30 p.m. to propose a plan for tonight.
Additionally, another discussion group leader explained that hoped to model the protest off of Columbia University’s (N.Y.) guidelines for open expression. She also brought up how some protestors were present in “conditional solidarity.”
“People are only supporting us because we were brutalized on Thursday, not because of freedom for Palestine,” the speaker said.
Shortly after, another speaker announced that Campus Services employees were arriving to take down the pro-Palestine signs strung across the structure for the graduation stage. The crowd responded with boos. Some protestors planned to protect the signs from being taken down and gathered in front of them.
— Lauren Yee
8:55 p.m.
A series of signs with phrases such as “divest now” and “free Palestine” hung across the structure for the graduation stage as protestors sat on the Quad, conversing and sharing food as the sun set. After a few hours, a speaker yelled into a megaphone, “What the f*** are we doing just sitting around? What we need to do right now is escalate for Gaza.”
Protestors responded with applause and chanted “Escalate, escalate.”
Another speaker said the group should move forward by protesting while being conscious of the Emory community and each other.
— Lauren Yee
5:41 p.m.
An Emory community member read a poem written by a Palestinian. A second speaker said that anyone who tried to get protestors to de-escalate is “selling out the people of Gaza.”
“You are fighting a war,” the second speaker said. “Fight to win.”
— Spencer Friedland
5:20 p.m.
Emory community members hung a banner in front of Convocation Hall. The banner stated “Ceasefire now” and “Save the children of Gaza.” Community members also set up prayer rugs in front of Convocation Hall.
— Spencer Friedland
A banner calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs outside Convocation Hall. (Spencer Friedland/Managing Editor)
4:48 p.m.
An Emory community member made the first speech of the day, asking students to make posters about Cop City and Palestine.
“We will continue to put pressure on Emory until Emory listens to our demands,” they said.
— Spencer Friedland
4:10 p.m.
About 50 protestors, including organizers from various pro-Palestine organizations, gathered at the Emory University Quadrangle and set up picnic blankets during the first ten minutes of today’s demonstration. Additionally, Emory School of Medicine students running a makeshift first aid station and Emory Open Expression Observers returned to the Quad.
— Spencer Friedland
Correction (4/28/2024 at 6:25 p.m.): A previous version of this article stated that Vice President of Communications and Marketing Luke Anderson confirmed to Wheel reporters on the Quad that the protestors who spray painted Convocation Hall were not part of the Emory community. In fact, Anderson told Wheel reporters on the Quad that he believed the protestors who spray painted Convocation Hall were not part of the Emory community.
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