BALTIMORE — As a group of Johns Hopkins University students remain steadfast in their approach to the war in Gaza, the university has drawn a line in the sand.
On Wednesday the University set a deadline for students to remove their encampment where they've been protesting.
Students who adhered to the deadline were asked to fill out a form, stating that they were leaving to avoid having conduct action taken upon them.
“The university is continuing to work to bring the encampment to a close given the serious risk of conflict and harm to the university community, as seen here already and at peer institutions around the country. Since the inception of the encampment, we’ve been in regular contact with students participating in the encampment and the Hopkins Justice Collective. We’ve extended multiple offers and engaged in negotiations to reach an end to the encampment.
As part of this process, Student Affairs extended to students an opportunity to leave the encampment with reduced disciplinary consequences provided they commit not to return and not to engage in future disruptions that violate our guidelines for protest and free expression. We are pursuing other avenues for those who remain and would remind everyone that participation in the encampment is a trespass. We remain seriously concerned by the safety risks of the encampment.”
Students responded to the deadline, regarding the university's tactics as 'fearmongering.'
"The University is attempting to turn us against each other, spending a great effort to scare us into submission rather than heed the violence in Palestine sustained by Hopkins' endowment," said the Hopkins Justice Collective in a statement.
We reached out to the Mayor's office regarding the protests and they replied:
“We continue to be in daily contact with university officials. The City of Baltimore strongly stands with every person’s first amendments rights, and we are monitoring the situation to ensure everyone’s safety. In the event of escalation, credible threat of violence, or similar change in the situation, we will adjust accordingly.”
