Around a dozen Northwestern tenured faculty members rallied by The Rock on Wednesday afternoon in protest of the University’s new demonstration policies. The demonstration drew a small crowd as faculty members marched with signs and spoke out against the new policies.
In September, the administration rolled out the new demonstration policies, which prohibit protests at The Rock before 3 p.m. on weekdays and the use of amplified sound in the area before 5 p.m.
The demonstration began with the group walking in a circle holding signs that read “What’s the time, place and manner for peace and justice?” and “The Time To Speak Out Is Now.” One member tapped a metal can while another shook a tambourine.
Fliers describing the group’s objections to NU’s demonstration policies and stating that “protest is education” were passed out to people who walked by.
“I’m here partly to walk in that tradition and to pay homage to the history of student protests here and elsewhere in the United States, which has been so crucial in pushing our continent in new and powerful directions,” said Black studies Prof. Martha Biondi.
Molecular biosciences Prof. Rosemary Braun, who attended the demonstration, said one of the reasons the group decided to take a stand was because tenured faculty are less vulnerable than many other groups on campus.
She said she was “horrified” by NU’s new demonstration policy and thought the University should stand with students instead of taking action against them.
“We are at a point in history where there are injustices all around us and things are likely to get a lot worse, and this is a time when we need the freedom to speak out,” Braun said. “We need the support of the University, and I’m concerned about the steps that the University has taken to quash free speech, to make it difficult for students and faculty to protest.”
When asked if the University had plans to discipline the faculty members at the demonstration, University spokesperson Eliza Larson said the University will review Wednesday’s activity to determine if it warrants disciplinary action.
English Prof. Sarah Schulman, who is the faculty advisor for NU’s chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, condemned the University for disciplining students for putting up two “Gaza Solidarity Sukkah” on campus.
This policy “criminalizes” and “alienates” students from the University, Schulman said.
“Instead, we should be listening to our students, supporting them and praising them for having the integrity to stand up against this violent status quo,” Schulman said to the crowd.
History Prof. Helen Tilley, who attended the faculty demonstration, said there has been a long history of young people’s collective action producing change that betters civil and human rights. Policies that limit collective action have a “chilling” effect, she added.
Tilley said the demonstration was a “call to action” for the University to reverse its demonstration policy and support academic freedom and free speech.
“I want students to feel free to express their views, particularly on controversial issues,” Tilley said. “It’s easy to let people have free speech if it’s not controversial, but when things like war come up or occupation and students feel strongly about it, one way they can exercise their rights is through collective action.”
Jerry Wu contributed reporting.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— LTE: An Open Letter from 52 Faculty — Oppose NU Demonstration Policy
— Northwestern will discipline pro-Palestinian students who protested by The Rock on Oct. 7
