Ivy League school suspends chapter of pro-Palestine group amid investigation into protest

Brown University, an Ivy League school located in Rhode Island, suspended its chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine group, after one of the chapter's rallies allegedly resulted in harassment and threats against school officials. 

Ivy League universities and other prestigious schools have come under heat this year after pro-Hamas protests broke out on their campuses last spring. Columbia University was one of the focus points of the protests, but the University of Southern California, Stanford, and other schools across the country also saw antisemitic protests close down the campuses and disrupt graduation ceremonies.

Brown's suspension of the pro-Palestine group comes nearly one week after it held a rally that protested the school's decision not to divest its endowment from 10 companies that continue to support Israel in its war with Hamas.

“[The suspension is a] retaliatory, politically-motivated ploy to defame protestors, fracture the student movement, and detract from their complicity in the extermination of the Palestinian people,” the group said in a statement, per NBC News.

“By prohibiting SJP from holding any events, including our weekly vigils, the administration has debilitated the sole organization on this campus dedicated to holding space for collective grief amidst the indiscriminate slaughter of Gazans carried out by the Zionist regime," it added.

The campus has ordered the chapter to "cease all organization activities" pending a review of the rally, including halting any planned events or meetings, according to the chapter. The group is also prohibited from posting on social media.

The university defended its decision in a statement, claiming that although it supports protests, the Oct. 18 rally resulted in allegations of "threatening, intimidating and harassing actions" against administrators and staff.

The alleged behavior included blocking vehicles, screaming profanity at people in close and personal range, and at people of color, and screaming while filming and following people.

“As a campus community, we should be resolute that these behaviors are not acceptable, are not reflective of the Brown student body or our community as a whole, and are not commensurate with what we expect of ourselves and others,” the school said in a statement.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.