Indiana University releases statement after student protesters arrested
Anti-Israeli protesters took to Dunn Meadow on Bloomington’s IU Campus on Thursday and violated the posted campus rules by bringing in days’ worth of food and set up camping tents on the school’s grounds. After being warning on numerous occasions, the University called in the State Police. Police offered several warnings as well before making 33 arrests.
Here is the University’s statement to IU Faculty on the matter:
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
Since October 7th, we have successfully hosted dozens of rallies, protests and educational dialogues concerning highly controversial and deeply personal opinions regarding the events in the Middle East. Today there was a protest in Dunn Meadow that required us to balance our commitment to free speech activities with the need to ensure safety and security for our campus community.
As an institution that vigorously upholds free speech, we actively protect the free and civil exchange of ideas, including peaceful protest, as many participated in today.
Yesterday we became aware that a student group had announced a planned rally in Dunn Meadow with internal and external groups seeking to occupy the university space indefinitely through erection of tents and stockpiling of provisions for multiple days. In reviewing guidance from a 1969 Board of Trustees policy, there was a provision that stated that tents would need to be removed at 11 pm in compliance with university policy that prohibits overnight campus ground occupation. This same policy includes a clear provision that the provost can pull together an ad hoc committee at any time to address specific changes that may be needed to the policy. Last night, the provost charged this committee to make recommendations that would best enable us to balance free speech and safety in the context of similar protests occurring nationally. The committee affirmed the right of peaceful protest, with the additional recommendation that temporary or permanent installation of structures in Dunn Meadow (including, but not limited to posters, tents, etc.) at any time must be approved in advance by the university and, if approved, adhere to the guidelines provided by the university.
The change was posted online and at Dunn Meadow this morning, and participants were told repeatedly that they were free to stay and protest, but that any tent would need to be dismantled. Given the expectation of a high number of external participants, Indiana State Police was brought in as a law enforcement partner. Once prohibited structures were removed, the protests continued peacefully and, in fact, are continuing at the time of this writing.
As we watched similar events unfold on numerous campuses around the country and prepared for today’s rally, we thoughtfully considered the best course of action for IU with the safety of our community being foundational to our decision. We know that not all will agree with the course of action, but this was made through careful deliberation. Our university must create space for meaningful dialogue, while ensuring that our campus is safe and welcoming to all, and that peaceful protest, as many experienced today, symbolizes our steadfastness to the free expression of ideas.
Sincerely,
Pamela Whitten, President of Indiana University
Rahul Shrivastav, Executive Vice President and Provost, IU Bloomington
Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch Center seeks CALEA accreditation
The Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch Center is currently in the process of preparing for a site-based assessment from representatives with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®). The CALEA assessors will examine policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services for the Dispatch Center. Verification by the assessors that the Central Emergency Dispatch Center meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence.
Community feedback regarding the performance of the Dispatch Center is very important and vital to ensure the needs of the community are being met. Users of the Dispatch Center are encouraged to complete a short survey, which can be found by visiting bloomington.in.gov/police/calea. This survey is intended to document citizen attitudes and opinions with respect to:
- overall agency performance;
- overall competence of agency employees;
- telecommunicator’s atitudes and behavior toward citizens;
- determining community concerns; and
- recommendations and suggestions for improvements.
Camp Good Grief Saturday, June 1st
A program of IU Health Bloomington Hospice for children ages 6 – 16 who have lost someone special. After the death of a loved one, kids often think…
- They won’t feel good again
- No one understands
- Parents and other adults may be distracted by their own grief and can’t help
- There is no other young person to talk to who has lost someone special
Camp Good Grief can help with these feelings, emotions and thoughts. Through art, music and play, campers will connect with others experiencing loss, learn positive coping skills and how to preserve memories and honor loved ones. For more information and registration:If you have any questions or need assistance, please call the IU Health Hospice Bereavement Team at 812.353.9818 or email scrcampgoodgrief@iuhealth.org. Participation is free and limited to 35 campers. Lunch will be provided Registration deadline is May 24, 2024.
Registation link: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/camp-good-grief…
This Week in Hoosier History
1914 – John Hubbard, American actor (Don’t Call Me Charlie, The Tall T, One Million B.C.), born in East Chicago, Indiana (d. 1988), In 1939, Hal Roach signed John Hubbard (under his given name) as one of five promising young actors with “star” potential (the other four were Lon Chaney Jr., Victor Mature, Carole Landis, and William Bendix). Roach saw something in Hubbard, whose handsome features lent themselves to romantic roles while his dialogue skills allowed him to play farce comedy. He was showcased in The Housekeeper’s Daughter (1939) and Turnabout (1940), but when Roach abandoned full-length features for shorter featurettes, Hubbard found roles elsewhere.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson