Judge Orders University of Maryland to Allow SJP Vigil, Says Ban Violated First Amendment

Oct 1, 2024, 06:13 PM

A federal judge in the U.S. District Court in Maryland ruled on October 1, granting a preliminary injunction allowing the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of Maryland, College Park, to hold an interfaith vigil on October 7, overturning the university's ban on all student-led expressive events on that date. The university had imposed the ban citing security concerns related to the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel. SJP, supported by organizations including Palestine Legal, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), filed a lawsuit against UMD, claiming the ban violated their First Amendment rights. The court agreed, ruling that the university's actions infringed on students' freedom of speech. The vigil aims to mourn those killed in Gaza during the conflict between Hamas and Israel.