Students, staff, and members of the public organized a pro-Palestinian rally and encampment at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Madison campuses.
Hundreds of protesters chanted as they marched through UWM's campus on Monday. Organizers called on UWM to be transparent about where its foundation sends money and to divest from any company that is pro-Israel and profiting off of the conflict. They also criticized the U.S. government's involvement in the war.
"This is urgent," said Ameen Atta, a student organizer. "This has been going on for so long now. Our university needs to take action. Our community needs to take action."
Demonstrators set up tents and said they would not leave until their demands were met. Wisconsin state law bans camping on university grounds. UWM did not respond to a question about whether police would force people to leave.
"One of the most bare minimum demands is for them to speak out for them to publicly release a statement condemning the acts of Israel," Atta said.
"My people know what it's like to be victims of genocide, so I don't understand why they're now perpetrating it," Julie Roubik stated.
Roubik says she is Jewish and joined marchers.
"I support all of the demonstrations all of the encampments. The overwhelming majority of people want this to end and I don't understand why it doesn't," Roubik added.
As a TMJ4 News crew followed the group they did not witness any arrests or counter-protesters.
TMJ4 reached out to multiple organizations in the local Jewish community for comment. However, they were closed in observance of Passover.
UWM leaders said in a statement that the war in Gaza is felt by so many and that they echo calls for an end to violence. Those university leaders said they have an obligation to uphold free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment and to ensure safety.
Students are also protesting at UW-Madison.Leaders on that campus say there will be consequences for anyone who breaks the law during that protest.
University leaders issued the warning to students, faculty, and staff over the weekend, saying the University is committed to upholding the First Amendment rights of everyone as long as they don't infringe on the rights of others.
Those officials said, in part, "We support your right to protest within these limitations. Failing to abide by these limitations can and will have consequences."
The American Civil Liberties Union also released a statement that reads, in part, "The next few hours, days and weeks will reveal whether First Amendment protections are valued."
See UW-Milwaukee's full statement below.
We have all witnessed a growing number of UWM students, employees and community members gather to make their voices heard. The vast majority of protests on UWM’s campus during the last several months have been peaceful and lawful, and UWM is steadfast in respecting the right to free speech. At the same time, it is critical that we maintain a safe and welcoming environment for our students, employees and visitors.
Today, students and community members gathered again on campus to protest. Unlike prior protests, an encampment was set up. Camping on campus grounds is unlawful and violates Chapter 18 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code: UWS 18.07(4). This expansion of protest activity conflicts with guidance UWM shared in a message with students, faculty and staff Monday morning.
UWM also received a series of demands from protesters. While many of these concerns have been addressed in meetings between UWM administrators and students and in some prior communications, we want to share this information with our broader campus community.
First, UWM has expressed in campus messages and meetings with students that we share in the heartbreak felt by our community and many around the world. We reiterate our call for an end to the violence by joining the White House and international leaders in calling for a release of the hostages and a ceasefire. We say this knowing that, as a public university, we have no direct ability to impact the outcomes of the war in Gaza. We also know that many of our Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim and Arab American community members are suffering as they watch loved ones directly and indirectly harmed by this war.
We want to reiterate that UWM has no investments in weapons manufacturers. Unlike some private institutions that have investments, UWM is funded with a combination of state funding, tuition, program revenue and grants. The UWM Foundation is a separate legal entity from UWM, and UWM cannot control the foundation’s investments. Regardless, those investments are through mutual funds. The foundation cannot disinvest from individual companies within those funds.
UWM has also been called to suspend any academic relationship with institutions or entities in Israel. While UWM does not have any active study abroad programs with universities in Israel, prohibiting faculty from engaging with any institution or country would infringe on their academic freedom. Although we understand the protesters’ desire for the safety and peace of all those in Gaza, stifling academic freedom or free speech would not accomplish that goal.
We ask again that people respect each other’s diverse viewpoints as well as the laws so that we can all feel safe and welcome here.
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