Students for Justice in Palestine fires back after the university revokes its status as a registered student organization
The University of Illinois suspended Students for Justice in Palestine as a registered organization until 2027 over policy violations during spring protests.
“We regret to inform you that SJP UIUC is no longer recognized by UIUC as an official [RSO],” the student group stated in an Instagram post Monday.
“Just like we’ve seen with other SJP chapters across the country, universities are increasingly using new policies to suppress voices that challenge institutional power and stand up for Palestinian human rights,” the group stated.
“The disbandment of SJP UIUC is a direct attack not just on Palestinian advocacy, but on the broader right to free speech, student organizing, and social justice movements,” it stated.
The SJP chapter dismissed the university’s decision, stating it will “continue organizing with or without the support of our institution as UIUC is dictated by the student body and not the administration.”
SJP can apply to become a recognized student group again in the Fall 2027 semester.
“Until then, the SJP chapter may not operate on the University of Illinois campus as an RSO, cannot represent itself as a university-recognized RSO, and will not have access to or use of university resources, funding and support that RSOs enjoy,” Chantelle Thompson, a spokesperson for the University of Illinois Student Affairs, told WCIA.
The school’s Subcommittee on Organized Conduct sent a letter to the organization in August, informing the students that their RSO status had been revoked for violating university policies, the Daily Illini reported.
The student group’s Instagram post included a photo of the letter with the words “I ain’t reading all that!” written over it.
Pro-Palestinian students violated the Student Code last spring when they set up an encampment, leading to arrests and increased police presence.
School policy “prohibits unapproved structures from being built on University grounds,” according to the Daily Illini.
Other offenses included setting up the encampment in an unreserved area, building a blockade to obstruct law enforcement, and engaging in physical confrontation with police.
Seven protesters face charges of mob action and other crimes, WCIA reported.
In its review of the incident, the school found that SJP was mainly responsible for the violations, the Daily Illini reported.
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IMAGE: VicHinterlang/Shutterstock
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