Six University of Georgia students who were arrested during an April 29 protest against the Israel-Hamas war will remain suspended through the fall semester, the university’s Office of Student Conduct announced on Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
The students will also remain on probation for the remainder of their academic careers at the university. The decision came after a 13-hour disciplinary hearing on July 30. Students can appeal the ruling to the university’s vice president of student affairs.
An attorney representing two of the suspended students, Josh Lingsch, called the hearing “nothing more than a kangaroo court”.
Campus police arrested 16 protesters who set up an encampment near university President Jere Morehead’s office on the Athens campus in April. The school suspended the students hours later, according to AP.
Some students informally resolved charges with the school by acknowledging their violations. The six remaining students said during last week’s hearing they had a right to protest and none of their actions interrupted academic activities. When they tried to comply with orders to move, students said officers used force and tried to end their protest. The students also expressed anger with Israel’s actions in the Israel-Hamas war and what they say is the university’s support for Israel.
“The University will continue to enforce our policies to protect the free expression rights of all members of our community while recognizing that such activities must comply with applicable laws and policies,” university spokesperson Greg Trevor said in a statement on Thursday.
The encampment at the University of Georgia was one of many anti-Israel encampments that have been set up at universities across the US in recent months.
Some of the anti-Israel encampments at universities were taken down by police officers, while others were cleared voluntarily following agreements with the administrations.