COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A U.S. District Court judge ruled an event hosted by a University of Maryland (UMD) pro-Palestine group can be held on Oct. 7, the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people, making it the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust.
In July, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) received permission from the university to hold what it called an “educational event” on McKeldin Mall, which is located in the center of the campus, Maryland Matters reports. Court documents describe the event as an “interfaith vigil … intended to mourn lives lost in Israel’s purported genocide in Gaza.”
“It would bring together many faiths,” said Daniela Colombi, a junior and member of SJP. “We would have an Islamic prayer, a Jewish prayer, and a Christian prayer because we understand this isn’t about religion, it’s about equality for human beings.”
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After receiving backlash from community members, the university revoked approval for the event. In a Sept. 1 letter, UMD President Darryll Pines said the school was canceling all student-led events scheduled for Oct. 7, noting the decision was made based on the recommendation of UMD Police.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Palestine Legal subsequently sued the school on behalf of SJP, alleging the university infringed on the group’s First Amendment rights and accusing campus officials of “erasing us” from the campus because they disagreed with their message.
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UMD Police Chief David Mitchell testified Monday that he recommended canceling the event after receiving threats against the group. Providing security for students and staff on campus “was a risk I was not comfortable with,” he said. Patricia Perillo, UMD’s vice president for student affairs, also testified that if SJP’s event is “purely educational purposes without any political content, they can do that on Oct. 8.”
“I think Students for Justice in Palestine strategically selected this date, candidly, to inflict as much pain as possible on the Israeli and Jewish community at the University of Maryland,” Michael Glass, with the Baltimore Zionist District, an organization with a mission to combat antisemitism and anti-Zionism, told Fox. “The judge recognized and talked about some of the slogans [SJP] used. It’s akin to hate speech.”
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The judge ultimately granted SJP’s motion for a preliminary injunction, requiring the university to reinstate the group’s reservations at McKeldin Mall, subject to a court-imposed bond of $2,500.
“We refuse to allow attempts to cancel our reservations to stop our message,” SJP wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “Every Palestinian shares a unique story, and we will not rest until we see a liberated Palestine.”
In a statement, UMD said it will “abide by the court’s decision and will work with all registered student organizers of events requested for October 7.”
In Israel’s counterattacks, more than 40,000 Palestinians inside Gaza and the West Bank have been killed.
