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Pro-Palestinian protests are continuing for a second day on Emory University’s Quadrangle. Yesterday, protesters were met with a large response from the Emory Police Department, which was working with the Atlanta Police Department and Georgia State Patrol. Officers arrested 28 protestors, including 15 students, and used irritant gas on the crowd and a taser on one individual.
The arrested protestors had their first appearance in the DeKalb County Magistrate Court this morning. Most protestors were charged with trespassing, while others faced disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement charges. Each charged protestor will appear in state court within the next 10 days.
In an email to all students, faculty and staff this morning, Emory President Gregory Fenves wrote that the University administration is “working with law enforcement agencies to assist detained community members and expedite their release.”
Earlier this afternoon, the College Senate of the Emory College of Arts and Sciences approved a motion to hold a vote of “No Confidence” for Fenves. The official vote will happen next week.
7:12 p.m.
Inside Cox Hall’s food court, at least 100 pro-Palestinian protestors led chants, and a couple of students stood on tables to give speeches to the crowd. The second speaker claimed to have been arrested at yesterday morning’s protest on the Quad.
“We did not have news of the outside world, of all the amazing protests that were going on,” the speaker said.
After the morning arrests, the protest grew to a crowd of around 400 people yesterday afternoon. Additionally, people within the Atlanta and Emory communities raised money in an “Atlanta Solidarity Fund” to cover the protestors’ legal fees, including bail bond funds.
“I have a trespassing charge,” the speaker said. “However, there was just a signature bond. There was no necessary money to pay, but I know you guys had put together funds, and I really want to thank you.”
The speaker said that their experience in the jail was “miserable.”
“However, the experience we had was a whole lot better than the people suffering in Gaza right now,” the speaker said to loud applause from attendees.
The speaker, who is Jewish, said they believed that the protests were “not an act of antisemitism” but rather “an act of anti-Zionism.”
— Tiffany Namkung
7:22 p.m.
A group of about 200 protestors returned to the Emory Quad after marching to Asbury Circle and looping around the Emory Student Center. The protestors are now stationary on the Quad, mingling in groups while some students pass out water and snacks. A protestor announced that they will be hosting a prayer.
— Jack Rutherford
7:07 p.m.
As pro-Palestinian protestors crossed Cox Bridge to occupy Cox Hall’s food court and McDonough Field, a group of around 20 Jewish students yelled “Free the hostages” to counter chants of “Free Palestine.”
Two first-year students in this group, who requested to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, told the Wheel that they have been at today’s protest for the past hour. One of the students said he has a lot of family in Israel and that the protests have been “very disturbing.”
“Obviously, what happened yesterday was scary, but it wasn’t exactly uncalled for,” the student said. “The cops may have taken it a little too far, but we’ve seen what can happen at other schools.”
The other student said that the police response yesterday was “completely justified.”
“I think Fenves is doing his job, given that Emory has a lot of Jewish students, and obviously that comes along with it, Jewish families who are worried about the wellbeing of their Jewish children,” the student said. “It’s sort of his job to make sure everyone’s feeling safe and make sure people are not occupying buildings.”
— Sarah Davis
6:50 p.m.
Protestors left the Quad and began moving in the direction of Asbury Circle. Some protestors began occupying Cox Dining Hall while other protestors continued to march toward McDonough Field.
6:33 p.m.
On a concrete path down the middle of the Quad, three students write “Cease Fire Now” in colorful chalk.
Two of the students, Eleanor Byers (25C) and Klara Nitsche (24C) are members of Emory’s radio station, WMRE. The club was supposed to hold their end-of-year celebration today but decided to cancel the event because of the protest and use the funds instead to buy food and drinks for protestors.
“We work together doing visual arts stuff for WMRE, so it’s something we really love to do, and just decided we wanted to chalk,” Byers said.
— Sarah Davis
Three students write “Cease Fire Now” in colorful chalk. (Sarah Davis/Senior Staff Writer)
6:04 p.m.
Student speeches continue on Emory Quad. One speaker said the protest will continue into tomorrow.
The crowd is still around 300 protestors. Most attendees are sitting in the grass, participating in call-and-response chants such as “We demand a ceasefire” and “Fenves, Fenves, we won’t rest. We demand you divest.”
— Sarah Davis
Emory University community members gather on the Quadrangle to listen to a speech during a pro-Palestine demonstration on April 26. (Jack Rutherford/News Editor)
5:30 p.m.
In a speech on the Quad, an Emory University healthcare worker condemned the use of force to suppress the protest on April 25. Other Emory community members spoke to the crowd of about 300 attendees and began chants, such as “APD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same,” and “No peace on stolen land.” Protestors also held signs that read, “Emory faculty says hands off our students.”
— Madeline Shapiro
5:15 p.m.
Emory students have begun giving speeches on the Emory Quadrangle, following chants of “Free, Free, Palestine” and “Whose Quad? Our Quad.” Over 300 people are currently gathered to listen. Groups of faculty came directly from the Emory College Senate meeting, where a majority approved a motion to vote “No Confidence” on Emory’s president next week. Many of the faculty wore signs with the words “Faculty Observer” on the back of their shirts.
Andrew Kazama, an associate teaching professor and the director of undergraduate research in the department of psychology, said the climate inside the faculty senate meeting was one of “extreme solidarity.”
“People offered some differing opinions, but I would say the faculty in the meeting were pretty much of one mind,” Kazama said. “The majority of the conversation was about protecting the students and supporting our students, which is why I’m here, and making sure that the campus remains a place that these ideas can be expressed.”
Several student groups came together to provide food, water and medical supplies to attendees. Faiz Alan (24M) worked with other students in the Emory School of Medicine to set up a first aid booth on the side of the Quad. Alan was present at yesterday’s protest, where police officers deployed irritant gas on participants and used a taser on one individual. Law enforcement arrested 28 protestors, 20 of whom were members of the University community.
“[We] saw that there were a lot of unanticipated injuries and care that people needed,” Alan said. “For instance, those who had irritants in their eyes had to go to buildings that were far away, so we knew that’s something we could help with.”
— Sarah Davis
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