JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida issued a statement Monday night saying its campus "is not a daycare" after protestors were arrested there earlier in the day, asking for the university to reckon with their financial ties to Israel, as well as their support for free speech.
Demonstrators are sparring over the Israel-Hamas war and its mounting death toll, and the number of arrests at campuses nationwide is approaching 1,000 as the final days of class for the semester wraps up.
In Gainesville, some protests on UF's campus appear to be organized by the UF Divest Coalition, The Liberation Collective, University of Florida Young Democratic Socialists of America, Party for Socialism & Liberation, 'rave4palestine' and University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine collectively.
The student and community-led organizations state they have come together to "demand an end to the genocide in Gaza & Israel's occupation of Palestine."
In a group Instagram post, the organizations have listed the following demands with what they would like to see from the university:
- 1. Disclosure- The university's Investment Portfolio from 2014-2024 and beyond must be made transparent and accessible to the public
- 2. Student Oversight- Establish a student oversight committee for future investments, ensuring student input and approval
- 3. Termination of Partnerships- UF must sever ties with weapons, arms, and AI contractors which are directly implicated in human rights violations, including the Gaza genocide
- 4. Divestment- UF must divest from funding & partnering with weapons manufacturers that are implicated in human rights in the Gaza genocide, including Lockheed Martin, RTX (Raytheon), Kratos Defense, and L3Harris
- 5. Speaker policy- Refrain from hosting speakers affiliated with the Israeli military or spreading misinformation about the history of Palestine, including the 1948 Nakba and Palestinian refugee status
- 6. Protection of student rights- Cease suspensions and arrests of students participating in peaceful protests
- 7. President Ben Sasse should publicly denounce violence & discrimination against Pro-Palestinian students and call for a ceasefire in Gaza
- 8. Academic & emotional support- Professors should provide accommodations for affected Palestinian students to ensure academic success
Furthermore, the University of Florida Students for Justice in Palestine group wrote a letter to UF President Ben Sasse, calling for him to meet with the leaders of Islam on Campus, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Arab Students’ Association. This comes after the organizations claimed he "failed to offer even the faintest acknowledgement of Palestinian humanity and the pain that many members of the UF community are feeling over the suffering currently being afflicted on the people of Gaza."
Read the full letter from the group here.
Sasse's full statement shared with First Coast News after the arrests of protestors were made is below:
“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences. For many days, we have patiently told protesters — many of whom are outside agitators — that they were able to exercise their right to free speech and free assembly. And we also told them that clearly prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order from UPD (barring them from all university properties for three years) and an interim suspension from the university. For days UPD patiently and consistently reiterated the rules. Today, individuals who refused to comply were arrested after UPD gave multiple warnings and multiple opportunities to comply.”