Orlando, FL: SDS Week of Actions a success

Orlando, FL – From November 18 -26 students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) participated in a week of action that featured multiple protests for Palestine, and an observance of the Trans Day of Remembrance.

The actions included week-long study-in hosted by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in collaboration with the UCF Divestment Coalition, and UCF Young Democratic-Socialists of America (YDSA). The goal of the study-in was to build the presence of the pro-Palestinian student movement among the UCF student body while also building momentum for a November 26 rally against the UCF Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity’s trumped-up conduct charges against UCF student Chris Gibson for protesting against Israel’s genocide of Palestine.

Study-in: Monday November 18

Students began the study-in at 8:30 by taping signs to the library tables and chairs, as well as laying out educational material, promotional flyers, and Palestinian flags to hand out to students passing by or wanting to join in. The signs contained several slogans, such as “While we are studying, ‘Israel’ is committing genocide” and “UCF divest from death.” At its height on most days, the study-in was made up of 12-15 students, and went as late as 6 p.m.

On the second day of the study-in, a UCF police officer approached the studying demonstrators, saying the taped signs were “improperly attached” to the library tables and chairs and then threatened a student with charges of criminal mischief after the student informed the officer that they were busy because they were studying.

The officer walked to a nearby hallway, where students studying nearby noticed the cops’ presence. Several students passing by then talked with the protesters and joined the study-in, asking if the officer was bothering them. The officer soon left.

After this police interaction, the study-in was approached by a single member of UCF administration, Dr. Kerry Welch, the vice president of Student Engagement and Leadership Development. He informed the student protesters that he had received complaints they were taping signs to university property, after which the students proceeded to tape the signs to their laptops and re-attach the signs to their chairs without the use of tape.

Students and community members collectively wrote about 30 letters demanding the UCF Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity drop their conduct charges against UCF student and member of SDS and the Divestment Coalition, Chris Gibson.

Speakout – November 19

On Tuesday, November 19, UCF SDS held a speak-out and tabling session in collaboration with the UCF Divestment Coalition at the Student Union for a National Day of Action called by National Students for a Democratic Society for Trans Day of Remembrance.

Jay Ialongo spoke on behalf of UCF SDS, stating, “Every day it seems we are slowly struggling back to a time before we had the rights that our elders fought so hard for.”

Ialongo went to say, “Our schools make it harder for us to even use the restroom, with anti-trans bathroom policies running rampant throughout colleges across the state, including here at UCF, giving trans students Code of Conduct charges just for having to take a piss.”

Mass meeting and panel – Thursday, November 21

On Thursday. November 21, UCF YDSA hosted a mass meeting and panel featuring speakers from UCF YDSA, SDS, Divestment Coalition, and Central Florida Students for Justice in Palestine. Students packed the classroom with an audience of over 30 attendees. The meeting was started off with the panel speakers each answering questions about their experiences organizing for Palestine on campus, what their organizations’ reactions to the recent presidential election were, and what organizing on UCF campus will look like in the future. Afterwards the panel was opened up to an open audience discussion with the majority of attendees participating.

UCF YDSA has recently begun a divestment referendum campaign, collecting signatures to make disclosure and divestment from weapon manufacturers profiting off of Israel’s genocide in Palestine a votable action for the next campus election cycle.

UCF SDS and the Divestment Coalition were able to collect over 30 signatures through the study-in, contributing to UCF YDSA’s grand total of over 400 petitions signed, out of a required amount of 750.

Rally and march – November 25

The study-in on Monday, November 25, ended at 1 p.m. to join a rally and march called by the UCF Palestinian Student Association. The march had between 30 and 40 students who marched around the Student Union chanting slogans including “From the river to the sea. Palestine will be free” and “UCF, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”

A heavy police presence of at least 10 or 15 officers on bicycles escorted and maintained a perimeter around the student protests as they marched twice around the student union.

Drop the charges against Chris Gibson rally – November 26

On November 26, UCF SDS mobilized students to the Ferrell Commons, where Chris Gibson’s “formal panel hearing” was taking place, to demand the charges against Gibson be dropped.

At the rally Vanessa Christaldi of UCF SDS stated, “ We know that Chris has not broken any rules, that Chris is simply one of the many people that have spoken up against our university, our city, and our country’s support of Israel’s genocide. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”

Christaldi continued, “The university is unjustly punishing us because they want to protect their financial interests, and we must show them now more than ever that we will continue to push for disclosure and divestment.”. During the rally, passing students signed petitions for divestment.

Chris Gibson is currently facing one felony and one misdemeanor charge for protesting October 7 against Israel’s genocide of Palestine. Gibson is being charged with one count of battery against a police officer and one count of resisting arrest without violence. While Gibson is still waiting for those charges to be filed, the UCF Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (SCAI) decided to pursue code of conduct violations against Gibson.

The formal panel hearing consisted of a panel of two faculty members and two students (picked by SCAI) who listen to testimony given by the student facing charges, and any witnesses called by SCAI and/or the student.

While the arresting officer and officer alleging the original battery charges against Gibson were originally tasked to give witness testimony, the only witness to actually appear at the formal panel hearing was Marcus Polzer, an organizer with UCF SDS and the Divestment Coalition, who witnessed the Orlando Police Department’s brutal arrest of Gibson at Orlando City Hall.

After each witness gives a testimony of their account of the events, the panel is then able to question the student and witnesses, after which the charged student may give a closing statement, and the panel deliberates. Upon reaching an agreement, the panel sends their findings to the director of SCAI, Ryan Iocco, who has the final authority to approve or deny the findings of the panel. The director of SCAI only has to explain their rationale if they rule against the findings of the panel. Chris Gibson is still waiting to hear back from SCAI, as his formal panel hearing date was set for November 26, the day before UCF campuses close for Thanksgiving break. Gibson’s original felony and misdemeanor charges are still not filed, and he is still awaiting to be granted access to the state’s evidence.

#OrlandoFL #FL #StudentMovement #FreeSpeech #SDS

Source: https://fightbacknews.org/orlando-fl-sds-week-of-actions-a-success?pk_campaign=rss-feed