Wake Forest University officials force Pro-Palestine protesters to disband

A pro-Palestine protest and encampment at Wake Forest University has been forced to disband after about three days of demonstrations. 

University officials had initially supported the students, part of a group known as Free Palestine WFU, in peacefully protesting since Tuesday afternoon. But that changed early Friday morning when, according to a message from the university, officials told protesters that they had violated the agreed-upon terms of the encampment, and that they would face interim suspension if they did not leave the site.

Instagram videos from protest attendees show dozens of law enforcement officers and multiple vehicles on the scene for the disbandment.

“The University’s early morning action was taken to minimize the risk to students, both those directly involved and bystanders, and to avoid further disruption to the academic mission, final exams and planned campus activities,” officials said in a statement. 

The university also instituted an “interim policy” only allowing demonstrations in a designated area of Poteat Field from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with no sound or amplification devices, chalking, tents or other structures. 

Students cooperated with university officials but say they are “disgusted and outraged, but not surprised,” according to a statement shared on social media. 

“Administration has not told students which agreements have been broken, and there is no documentation of such,” the group stated. “We DENY these claims made by the university, and therefore assert that the forced disbandment of the encampment VIOLATES the agreements between participants and university administrators.” 

The Free Palestine WFU demonstration started around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with a few dozen students holding signs and calling for the university to divest from companies that financially support Israel. The protest evolved into an encampment overnight, then was moved to Manchester Plaza at the direction of the university the following morning.

On Wednesday, officials reached a written agreement with protesters, signed by Dean of Students Matt Clifford, Provost Michele Gillespie, and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion José Villalba. 

It was essentially a list of commitments, including weekly meetings between the students and Wake Forest University officials through the fall, and a meeting with President Susan Wente before May 10. The document also stated that students could continue to protest with tents on Manchester Plaza B, but could not sleep in them or make loud noises after 10 p.m.

For the past few days, the students sang songs, read poetry and held teach-ins with professors to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also wrote messages on the sidewalks with chalk.

But according to an email from Wake Forest University President Susan Wente on May 2, a tree and sidewalks were "vandalized" with “vile, antisemitic language.” She also said the university received reports of racist and homophobic speech. 

“Because of these incidents, and recurring incidents of chalking and posting that violate our University’s stated chalking policies, chalking on University sidewalks, including in the area designated for such activity by students, is suspended for the remainder of the academic year through Commencement,” Wente stated in the email. “Existing chalking in any areas will be removed and any instances of chalking found will be promptly removed. Students found in violation of this directive will be subject to conduct action.” 

Though Wente did not specify what exactly was said, protesters said they themselves have been the target of racial slurs, but that their language has not been antisemitic. 

“‘From the river to the sea,’ is a statement about the freedom of Palestinians, not one calling for hate against Jewish people,” the group posted on Instagram. “Critiques against the state of Israel are not hate speech against Jewish populations.” 

That sentiment was shared by three Directors of Jewish Studies at Wake Forest University, who posted their own statement on Instagram on May 2, saying they “emphatically reject” Wente’s "egregious claim" about protesters using “antisemitic” language. 

“Had President Wente paused and called upon the expertise of her own faculty (as we had invited her to do in December, an invitation that has so far been ignored) we would have happily met to discuss the historical and current uses of the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ and this potentially explosive confusion might have been quickly diffused,” the post states. 

The statement was made by Winifred W. Palmer Professor in Literature Dean J. Franco, Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History Barry Trachtenberg, and Associate Professor of History Mir Yarfitz.

The protesters say that even though they’ve been forced to disband, they will not be silent. The group shared a list of demands which include the university disclosing its investments in full, divesting from companies that support Israel, and ending its study abroad program in Israel. 

Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have been happening on college campuses across the country. And in North Carolina, a protest at UNC-Chapel Hill led to 30 arrests.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.