UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor, Lee Roberts is vowing to “pursue every avenue possible to hold people accountable” for the vandalism and disruption that followed a Pro-Palestinian protest Thursday afternoon.
The UNC advocacy group Students for Justice In Palestine held a walkout to protest Israel’s actions in the ongoing war in Gaza. More than 100 people met at the steps of Wilson Library. Some marched through academic buildings chanting, leaving flyers … and spray painting messages onto the walls.
UNC officials say there was “significant damage throughout multiple buildings.” One building that the protesters targeted was the ROTC building on Columbia Street.
Protesters spray-painted slogans including “Burn, Riot, Resist,” “Death to UNC,”and “Israel bombs, US pays.”
In a statement, Students for Justice in Palestine said the movement will continue to organize and disrupt. The group has been pushing for UNC to divest from companies that do business in Israel.
An SJP representative – who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions – said the people who committed vandalism were acting autonomously from SJP. But he said the group will continue to escalate and demonstrate on campus
North Carolina Hillel at Chapel Hill said in a statement it was appalled at the acts of the protesters. The statement said that the protesters’ actions and anti Semitic chants incited fear across campus
Pro-Palestinian protests on campus in May led to 36 people detailed, 6 arrests, and UNC banning SJP from campus.
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