Loyola U. Chicago Now Only Allows Protesting From 9 to 5
“regarded as a blatant attempt to silence any valid criticism of the university’s troublesome investments”
This policy seems to be a reaction to the behavior of the ‘Students for Justice in Palestine’ chapter at the school and they are not happy about it.
The College Fix reports:
Loyola Chicago bans protesting after 5 p.m.
Loyola University Chicago students must wrap up all protesting by 5 p.m., according to new rules from the Catholic college on the city’s north side.
The standards, in effect starting this fall semester, also require students to get approval at least three days in advance. The university also limits protesting to the “free speech zone” on the West Squad.
Loyola experienced several pro-Palestinian protests earlier this year as part of nationwide encampments and demonstrations on college campuses. The Jesuit Catholic university has also regularly faced calls to divest from Israel – demands the university leadership has rejected. (The featured image is not of Loyola students protesting).
The new rules have drawn criticism from both a national free speech group and Students for Justice in Palestine at Loyola.
“Demonstrations must occur within the hours of 9:00AM and 5:00PM,” the Community Standards Handbook states. “Demonstrations are prohibited overnight, during University-wide signature events, including but not limited to, new student convocation, commencement, and University holiday events, and during final exams.”
The policy also prohibits “non-Loyola individuals” from participating in demonstrations. There may be a meeting with the dean of students to discuss the demonstration application as well.
“This meeting is not an attempt by the University to censor or otherwise limit content or viewpoint, but rather to advise organizers regarding applicable standards for time, place, and manner,” the handbook states.
Loyola’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter said they are being “directly targeted” by the new rules.
“Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is being directly targeted by Loyola University’s new demonstration policies,” the group stated in an email to The College Fix.
The new policies are “regarded as a blatant attempt to silence any valid criticism of the university’s troublesome investments,” the group said. It told The Fix “many students, staff, alumni, and community members” are critical of the new rules.
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Comments
Free Speech Hours? Free Speech Zones?
Ha ha ha! Those things are ALWAYS struck down by the courts!
It’s Muh First Amendment!
Absolutely nothing like the Second, which anyone can gut at will!
Loyola is a private institution, and thus not subject to the first amendment. No court is going to strike this down.
So student terrorists are going to banker’s hours? This should be futile.