University of Maryland revokes permit for pro-Palestinian Arab event on October 7

The University of Maryland has revoked a permit for pro-Palestinian Arab groups to hold an event on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel, following concerns from Jewish groups that such an event could glorify the Hamas killings, JTA reported on Tuesday.

According to the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the planned event was a “vigil” to be held jointly with the school’s chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).

University President Darryll Pines announced the change in a letter to the school on Sunday, writing that “numerous calls have been made to cancel and restrict the events that take place that day.”

“As a university community, we acknowledge the significance of the anniversary of October 7 and recognize the horrific suffering it represents for people here on our campus and across the globe,” Pines wrote.

While he did not name any specific events, he added that “only university-sponsored events that promote reflection” would be allowed that day, with “all other expressive events” pushed to either before or after the anniversary. A university spokesperson declined further comment.

Campus Jewish and pro-Israel groups, including Maryland Hillel, Terps for Israel, the Jewish Student Union and a campus chapter affiliated with the Israeli-American Council welcomed the cancellation.

“October 7th, the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, is a day of mourning for the Jewish and Israeli community,” the groups wrote on Instagram. “We are relieved that SJP will no longer be able to appropriate the suffering of our family and friends to fit their false and dangerous narrative.”

JVP’s Maryland chapter, which organized on the College Park campus after Oct. 7 and has aligned with SJP on other protests, said on Instagram it was “disappointed” and “angry” at the move.

SJP in a statement of its own called the pressure campaign against the group “racist” and made no reference to Hamas or to the 1,200 Israelis murdered by the terror group on October 7. Instead, the student group described the date as “one year since the Zionist entity began its most recent genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people.”

SJP added that the university’s cancellation came “at the behest of Zionist pressure and threats” and added, “We honor the lives of all martyrs of this genocide, yet Zionists on this campus celebrate the death and destruction of Palestinian life.”

SJP’s activities have been suspended by other universities due to their anti-Israel character.

In November of 2023, George Washington University (GWU) temporarily suspended SJP over its anti-Israel messaging on campus. Both SJP and JVP have been suspended by GWU for the fall semester.

Columbia University suspended both SJP and JVP in early November of 2023, citing “repeatedly violated University policies related to holding campus events.”

Previously, Brandeis University announced it is revoking recognition of the campus chapter of SJP, saying the group “openly supports Hamas”.

Florida’s public university system banned SJP in late October following a directive by Governor Ron DeSantis.