More than 760 UNC faculty sign petition for amnesty for students suspended after pro-Palestine demonstrations
More than 700 employees signed a petition to grant amnesty to the students facing disciplinary action after last week's protests. They're requesting amnesty for all students who were detained and suspended last week.
Posted — UpdatedA letter penned by UNC Provost Chris Clemens and Graduate School Dean Beth Mayer-Davis said they are concerned about the possibility of instructors withholding grades as part of the protest.
The letter read:
A separate letter from faculty said the university undermined the public trust after calling in police to remove an encampment on April 30. The instructors, who support the protesters, say they will withhold grades until the 15 suspended students are reinstated.
"The continued withholding of arrest records from public scrutiny have further undermined the public trust," the letter read in part.
On Monday afternoon, some faculty members and students marched to the entrance of the South Building, where the administrative offices are located. A large sheet being carried read "UNC FACULTY & STAFF FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE."
The faculty letter called the protesters peaceful, but UNC said the protesters damaged the quad.
"They're facing a lot of uncertainty and reprisal from the university," said student Kylie Broderick. "They are steadfast in the demand that they deserve amnesty for protesting for human rights against an amoral war. It is not the responsibility of the university to punish them for merely standing for justice."
Faculty and staff claimed 15 UNC students who were arrested at the encampment were suspended from the University. They say the suspensions are a violation of their freedom of speech. Some students were banned from campus.
"We hope that he understands that we will not stand for this horrific and brutal treatment of our students," said UNC Global Studies professor Michal Osterwil. "We will not stand for student free expression being shut down in this way."
UNC has not confirmed any students were suspended, claiming federal privacy laws prevent them from releasing that information. The university confirmed its commencement ceremony will go on as scheduled on May 11.
WRAL News has reached out to UNC for comment on receiving this petition but has not received a response.
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