Supporters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) were prevented from blocking the entrance to the College Avenue Student Center and then moved to Alexander Library where they were dispersed by Rutgers Police.
The incident occurred in the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 16 in what SJP said in an Instagram post was a response to a statement from the Rutgers Joint Committee on Investments detailing its decision to reject the Endowment Justice Collective’s 56-page request that Rutgers divest from Israel. SJP called its latest attempt to disrupt the university “strike three,” adding, “Rutgers, we’re not done, the intifada has just begun.”
“Rutgers University, the Board of Governors, and the Joint Committee on Investments are more concerned about a Zionist minority backlash than prioritizing what their majority student body has been demanding for years,” read the post. “They are more interested in directly financing and normalizing the apartheid and settler-colonial state that has supported the ongoing genocidal campaign that threatens our families, the kin and beloved of so many students, faculty and staff.”
The statement also expressed anger that a memorandum of understanding between the university and Tel Aviv University to establish the Israeli educational institution as part of the Innovation and Technology Hub under construction in New Brunswick is going forward.
SJP has been suspended for the academic year by the university for failing to comply with university directives and its disruption of final exams and university operations last year.
In the latest incident, a group of about 20 students had gathered in front of the student center.
Rutgers Chabad Administrator Rabbi Mendy Carlebach said he saw barricades in front of the building and “it was pretty evident Rutgers wasn’t going to allow them in” and students were told to move from the entrance. The group relocated to the sidewalk, which Rabbi Carlebach said he was told is technically city of New Brunswick property and not part of the university.
He said he left campus for about an hour and when he returned the group had moved to the front of the library, which is across from Chabad. Rabbi Carlebach said he alerted Rutgers Police, and they responded. One officer read a statement telling the protesters to leave or they would be arrested as another officer recorded the incident.
“I watched as the statement was read,” the rabbi said. “Most of the protesters left after that but a handful stayed behind and sat on the sidewalk since it’s technically not university property. Apparently, this is their new tactic.”
Rutgers’ main campus is within the catchment area of the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, which told The Jewish Link it was aware of the sidewalk loophole and is in communication with local law enforcement authorities, but could not comment further at this time.
Rutgers had suspended SJP in December after its supporters blocked students from entering buildings and targeted Jewish students with hateful speech and other disruptive actions, but was later reinstated on a probationary basis. However, SJP violated the terms of its probationary status in May when word was received students planned to disrupt finals, forcing the cancellation of a number of them and resulting in the university suspending the group until at least July 4, 2025. During this period, SJP is not being recognized by Rutgers and can’t reserve rooms, participate in campus activities, join intramural sports or serve on councils. A request to the university for comment on whether the latest incident will result in further action against the group was not returned.
Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly and daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.
