Iowa City student group prepares for weekend Israel-Hamas war rally on Pentacrest
Iowa City Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is planning a three-day "People's University for Palestine" rally that starts Friday, May 3 to "stand in solidarity with student encampments” that are calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Representatives with SJP are adamant that they are not organizing an encampment on Friday. In an Instagram post on May 1, group organizers said they wouldn't “be setting up tents and other structures, per University (of Iowa) guidelines."
A number of encampments have been established at colleges and universities across the nation.
SJP is a coalition of students invested in "Palestinian Liberation" and is an organization present on most college campuses nationwide. The SJP is demanding that the University of Iowa "divest and disclose" funds from weapon manufacturers like Collins Aerospace Systems and Lockheed Martin, organizations that the student organization believes aid Israel.
The Iowa City organization said it is holding the rally, which begins at noon Friday on the Pentacrest, to “show the University of Iowa (they) won’t back down.”
The three-day rally is meant to encourage students “to form a space where they can come to learn and ask questions about how to advocate for divestment, disclosure and sanctions,” according to their May 1 social media post. “It is our hope to facilitate education and cultural exchange through art, poetry, history, dance and dialogue with Palestinian students and community members.”
The Iowa City rally will run until 7 p.m. Friday, with rallies also set for Noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 5.
More: College students across the US are holding pro-Palestinian protests. What about in Iowa?
Weekend rally will include space for students to study, eat and pray
The Iowa City Students for Justice in Palestine is planning to host a number of speakers throughout the three-day rally, with presentations from Jewish Voice for Peace members, Iowans for Palestine and "other members of the campus and (the) broader community."
The organizers said they will establish "designated spaces" on the Pentacrest for students to study for finals and do homework. The group will also designate places to eat, hold "daily prayers," and collaborate in art builds.
SPJ is urging the University of Iowa to "Respect the Pentacrest's longstanding tradition as a site for such gatherings and to allow our event to proceed, uninterrupted, in the spirit of the University of Iowa’s commitment to free speech,” according to a May 1 statement on Instagram.
UI guidelines on expression
The University of Iowa's free speech guidelines outline what is permitted during an on-campus demonstration.
Permitted activities include peaceful assembly, distributing flyers and brochures, respecting others' right to assemble or engage in speech and following university policies and local, state and federal laws.
Demonstrators could face disciplinary action if they block entrances, exits or roadways, vandalize property, "erect structures or signs," use "amplified sound" outside of "designated times and areas" or without permission, or attempt to "intimidate, badger, or coerce others into viewing or listening to a message." Engaging in physical violence, creating disruptions within campus buildings and "shout(ing) down" a speaker are also forbidden.
The guidelines warn that violating laws or university policies may result in "disciplinary action or criminal charges."
More: Johnson County attorney faces censure for charging trans protesters at Chloe Cole event
Past Iowa City demonstrations draw police presence
University police and the county attorney have charged several people involved in protests in the past year.
Seven trans and non-binary protesters were charged with disorderly conduct and interference with official acts after some blocked the roadway near the Iowa Memorial Union during a protest outside of a Chloe Cole event in October. Most agreed to a plea deal and were ordered to pay a small fine in the hundreds of dollars. One protester, Tara Dutcher, took their case to trial and was acquitted by a jury.
In December, nine people were arrested and charged after chaining themselves to the doors of Kinnick Stadium during an Israel-Hamas war protest held outside a holiday party hosted by university President Barbara Wilson. In plea agreements, the protesters agreed to pay a combined $1,000 for repairs.
More: House Speaker Mike Johnson joins Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa City amid Gaza protests
Iowa CityIsrael-Hamas War rallies
Students for Justice in Palestine held a protest Sunday, April 28, near an event for U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and House Speaker Mike Johnson in Iowa City. Roughly 100 community members called for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Some of the collective's demands include that the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, and UIHC call on Israel's government to cease the "assault on Gaza's health system." They also asked the University of Iowa to call for an "immediate end to the war in Gaza and U.S. military funding to Israel," for the University of Iowa to "fully divest from weapons manufacturers that arm Israel's assault on Gaza," and to cut ties with Israeli academic institutions.
Iowa City High School planning Friday protest
A student group at Iowa City High School (@citystudentsforpalestine on Instagram) has organized a strike from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Friday, May 3, encouraging students and community members to join them "in solidarity with students at Columbia University and across the country in standing up for the human rights of all Palestinians and denouncing the US-funded genocide."
The group emphasized that the strike is not a protest against Iowa City High School.
Des Moines Register reporter Paris Barraza contributed to this article.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: What to know about the Israel-Hamas war rallies planned in Iowa City
