A pro-Palestine student group at Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus has been suspended after officials claim the group "disrupted classes, a program, meals, and students studying."
In discussing the suspension of "Students for Justice in Palestine," Rutgers spokesperson Dory Devlin said that the group's activities violated the school's student code of conduct.
"There are also allegations of vandalism occurring at the Rutgers Business School while an organization event was taking place," noted Devlin.
In a statement to NBC10, Devlin said the student group was notified of the suspension on Monday due to "multiple complaints."
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However, in a response on Wednesday, organizers with Students for Justice in Palestine said they didn't hear about the suspension until they were contacted by a member of the press on Tuesday.
"Actions organized by Rutgers SJP in recent months have included peaceful protests in designated ‘free-speech’ areas, sit-ins that dispersed at the command of RUPD, and study sessions at the library that displayed signs reading “Divest Now.” This attempt to conflate protected speech activity with violence is dangerous," the group noted in a statement. "The administration’s letter contributes to the perception of Arab and Palestinian students on campus as terrorist threats, a racist and unacceptable caricature. These allegations lodged against our group, with no due process, are attempts to silence Palestinian voices and solidarity, rather than to maintain campus integrity."
The school did not detail how long this suspension might last.
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