Last semester, the University of Colorado Boulder witnessed intensified anti-Israel protests, primarily led by the Boulder chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). These protests grew increasingly aggressive. In October, SJP was derecognized as a student organization due to multiple violations of the student code of conduct and CU Boulder’s honors code. Unlike most student-run organizations, SJP has been vocal and disruptive, making unreasonable demands.
The university decided to remove the group following a protest on October 3, 2024, when SJP disrupted a job fair at the University Memorial Center by shouting at students, faculty, and businesses, as well as labeling several organizations as “horrific” for supplying weapons to Israel.
This event marked a turning point for CU SJP’s anti-Israel protests. Despite being derecognized and having two students expelled for their activities, the now unsanctioned group has continued its activities, facing little consequence.
Throughout the fall semester, they hosted numerous controversial speakers and workshops. The most significant display of antisemitism occurred on November 1, 2024, when hate speech was spray-painted across campus grounds. The graffiti included phrases such as “Fuck Israel” and “Stop Genocide.”
In response, the university continued its pattern of impassivity with a statement that lacked empathy for the concerned Jewish students and has not yet provided an update on the ongoing investigation.
Even if SJP turns out not to be directly involved, it’s not hard to see a connection between the school allowing them free rein to defy policy to conduct their antisemitic activism and how common anti-Israel vandalism has become. If they can get away with it, so can everyone else.
Protests continued to occur on December 3rd and 5th in the UMC outdoor area and inside the building. Three police officers and four people from the university PR team were present while protesters gathered to shout about Israel.
I sought answers from the police and administration regarding the group’s de-recognition amid ongoing antisemitic actions.
They redirected me to Nicole Mueksch, CU Boulder’s director of Issues Management and Strategic Relations and Communications spokesperson, who stated, “When we have demonstrations on campus, whether they’re students or outside individuals who are not members of the campus community, we respect those individuals’ right to the First Amendment. Free speech and demonstration are permitted as long as they do not violate federal law, state law, or university policy.”
Somehow, even though SJP has repeatedly violated several rules—and possibly more if the various CU codes of conduct were more transparent about the jurisdiction of protesting and canvassing
The university has multiple codes of conduct, and there is no clear indication of which applies to protesting inside university buildings, adding to the confusion.
Mueksch expressed a willingness to discuss the situation further but ignored my follow-up invitation to chat.
Protests outside campus include frequent sit-ins at Norlin Library. The group occupies space, posts flyers, and spreads misinformation while wearing keffiyehs and face coverings, stating things like, “While we’re reading, Gaza is bleeding” and “There are no universities in Gaza.”
One of their more egregious acts occurred on December 13, 2024, when SJP staged a mock evacuation notice in one of the most populated buildings, Norlin Library, attempting to satirize IDF warnings to Palestinian civilians near terrorist activity to minimize harm. Masked SJP members threw paper slips mimicking accurate evacuation notices, mocking the IDF’s methods for protecting innocent Palestinian civilians.
This blatantly violated the Campus Use of University Facilities (CUUF) policy, which requires all student groups and individuals to contractually agree to use CU Boulder’s facilities.
Again, the administration has yet to impose any consequences. It’s troubling that a student organization has, on multiple occasions, breached university protocols yet is still permitted to promote hate-fueled messages disguised as protests.
The University of Colorado Boulder has concluded a challenging semester for numerous Jewish students on campus, who consistently encounter misinformation and anti-Zionist propaganda within the community that seems to give students license to bully those who disagree.
However, there remains an absence of an action plan or updates concerning the ongoing investigations into the explicit threats to the safety of Jewish students, who navigate the campus with apprehension regarding the potential disturbances to their daily experiences caused by overt antisemitism in the form of protests, sit-ins, or programming. The university does not appear to prioritize the safety of its students.
They emphasize the importance of free speech; however, this has approached the hazardous boundary of violent rhetoric and acts of aggression, with which the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has consistently been involved in ensuring safety.
As a public university, it cannot restrict individuals on campus. However, stricter policies could be enacted for organizations and student-run groups that may be connected to dangerous rhetoric and the widespread dissemination of misinformation and fear among the student body.
This article was originally published in The Times of Israel.
