Professional-Palestinian protesters had been spray-painted by a contractor at Case Western Reserve College in Cleveland, Ohio early Tuesday morning as they stood in entrance of a campus Spirit Wall that had been hijacked by Hamas supporters who had painted it over with anti-Israel messages. The protesters, who wore clear plastic face shields, stood immediately in entrance of the wall in an effort to stop the contractors from doing their job. A professional-Hamas encampment at CWRU is now in its second week.

Video posted by the varsity’s College students for Justice in Palestine group reveals one of many contractors spray-painting the protesters, with one lined in white paint. The group posted the video to Instagram with the message in almost all caps, “AROUND 5 AM THIS MORNING, STUDENTS WERE SPRAYED WITH PAINT WHILE CONTRACTORS CALLED BY CWRU ATTEMPTED TO COVER THE SPIRIT WALL. THEY LATER CAME CLOSER TO NOON AND COVERED THE ENTIRE WALL WITH PAINT. THE STUDENTS FOLLOWED THE SPIRIT WALL POSTING POLICY, AND ADMIN STILL HAD A PROBLEM. The lengths this college goes to defend Zionist Genocidal pursuits is insane.”

Copy of the Instagram video:

Video posted by Cleveland.com

Case Western Reserve College President Eric Kaler issued an announcement Wednesday denouncing the spray-painting of the protesters:

An replace on an in a single day incident on the Spirit Wall
To the Case Western Reserve group:

Earlier right now, I wrote to you noting that the college was investigating an incident during which a person who was portray over protesters’ writings on the Spirit Wall hit scholar protesters with paint. I’ve reviewed video footage, which depicts college students blocking the wall as a third-party contractor spray painted immediately onto protesters as he tried to complete portray the wall, and I’m disturbed by what occurred.

Let me be clear: No college students—or any people—ought to ever be handled this fashion, particularly on a campus the place our core values middle on offering a secure, welcoming surroundings. This isn’t who we’re as an establishment, and I’m deeply sorry this ever occurred.

The college will proceed to totally examine these actions and maintain people accountable for this conduct, together with the failure of our personal officers to intervene.

Once more, I wish to reiterate my honest remorse for this incident. As with every violation of our codes of conduct, we’ll take motion to carry them accountable.

Sincerely,

Eric W. Kaler
President

Kaler beforehand issued an announcement criticizing the protesters for portray “threatening, intimidating and antisemitic” messages on campus partitions.

Addressing intimidating speech on college property: Might 7, 2024
To the Case Western Reserve group,

I totally help people’ rights to share their viewpoints in accordance with our freedom of expression coverage. Nonetheless, that coverage—and the core values that outline our college—have been frequently violated over the previous eight days, together with yesterday afternoon when protesters on the non-sanctioned encampment on Kelvin Smith Library Oval painted an advocacy wall close to Eldred Corridor with language the college administration and lots of members of our group view as threatening, intimidating and antisemitic.

As I’ve repeatedly famous, constructive, significant exchanges ought to by no means contain harassment, incitement, or conduct that threatens and is intimidating to our group. I strongly condemn the language posted yesterday on the advocacy wall, and wish to reiterate to our complete group that such language—regardless of to whom it’s directed—is not going to be tolerated on our campus.

After defacing the advocacy wall, later within the night, the protesters painted the spirit wall close to Thwing Middle with language that was much less threatening however nonetheless intimidating to some in our group. The college has painted over the advocacy wall and can full portray over the spirit wall this morning. The college is investigating an incident during which a number of protesters blocking the spirit wall had been hit by paint.

The scholars concerned in yesterday’s advocacy wall portray and people who proceed to interrupt college coverage by remaining in an unapproved encampment on personal property shall be held totally accountable for his or her actions by way of the conduct course of. Any school and workers members who participate in actions that violate the liberty of expression coverage—which this encampment does—additionally shall be required to undergo a conduct course of. The actions of all contributors, whether or not inside or exterior the CWRU group, may additionally be in violation of prison or civil regulation.

I perceive and respect the significance of advocating for a trigger that’s deeply private and undeniably tragic, because the Israel-Hamas warfare and the ensuing lack of lives are in Israel and Gaza. However advocacy for a trigger is most persuasive when it goes again to these core values upon which Case Western Reserve operates, with accountability, civility and moral conduct amongst them. I urge the scholar protesters to take away the encampment and start the scholar conduct course of.

Sincerely,

Eric W. Kaler

Cleveland’s mayor and chief of police issued a joint assertion, reported WOIO-TV:

Mayor Justin Bibb and Chief Annie Todd Reply to Current Incidents on the CWRU Campus

In gentle of the current video that surfaced from the CWRU campus, which shows people being painted over with spray paint, it’s essential that we specific our stance unambiguously.

Cleveland is a metropolis for everybody, and we should respect the ideas, emotions, and voices of those that come from numerous backgrounds. These various views are what makes us particular, and in the end stronger, as a metropolis. Our group deserves venues the place they’ve the flexibility to constitutionally-express their opinions overtly with out concern of prison interference. We help 1st Modification rights and implore CWRU management to think about this and take into consideration how the choices they make and the actions they take – particularly towards those that are abiding by the regulation – will affect among the progress we’ve got collectively made as a metropolis. On the similar time, we urge people to exhibit peacefully.

We wish to be clear in that we condemn all types of violence and the Division of Police stands prepared to supply help ought to that happen. Public security has been and at all times shall be our primary precedence.

Mayor Bibb & Chief Todd

WOIO additionally reported a scholar protester named Raissa complaining concerning the incident:

“It was a pressurized paint gun spraying dangerous chemical substances with carcinogens and toxins immediately with no concern for well being or the well-being of a person who’s paying to be right here,” stated Raissa.

“We had some college students speaking to the police like how can they do that. The painters had been like had been following orders. The police stated we’re following orders from increased administrative and I assume they didn’t consider the morality of what they had been doing,” stated Raissa.

Video of the encampment posted early Monday:

The campus protest continued Wednesday night:



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