A Day After Youngkin Says "No Encampments," Police Tear Gas Students at Virginia Commonwealth University
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Free Speech: Response to Youngkin Channelling His Inner Bull Connor on Virginia’s College Campuses
Last night students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond were pepper sprayed and tear gassed by law enforcement. The policing agencies at the scene were members of the Virginia State Police, VCU Police and the Richmond Police Department.
Currently, there are student protests on many college campuses in the U.S against Israel’s military strikes on Gaza in response to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack killing over 1,200 Jewish people. As reported by Reuters on March 28, 2024 over 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 by Israeli Defense Forces. Students at three of Virginia’s college campuses are protesting in favor of a ceasefire regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a Oct. 12, 2023 statement after the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas, VCU President Michael Rao wrote, “the savage, barbaric assaults committed by Hamas against Israeli civilians, including children, have no place in our world,” and “as I shared earlier this year, VCU is committed to promoting a safe environment so that the rights of everyone to gather and speak freely, peacefully and without violence are protected. It is our responsibility to support the First Amendment, especially when it is difficult.”
Few could remember remember the last time students in Virginia were tear gassed on campus by police. Further, over 80 students were arrested at Virginia Tech earlier on April 29. VCU is a public university located in Richmond with a student population of over 28,000 with about 6,000 students living on campus.
Last night’s police action was reminiscent of Richmond Police teargassing citizens on Monument Avenue at the then location of the Robert E. Lee statue. On June 1, 2022 Richmond Police teargassed people who had gathered around the monument. The incident led to the resignation of another Richmond Police Chief and calls for the Mayor to resign.
Last night, on April 29, in a statement signed by no one, a message on VCU’s website in part read, “VCU respectfully and repeatedly provided opportunities for those individuals involved – many of whom were not students -- to collect their belongings and leave. Those who did not leave were subject to arrest for trespassing.”
Update 10am 4.30.24: This morning, VCU’s President Michael Rao released a statement after video of police teargassing students on VCU’s campus on the night of April 29 was shown on Good Morning America on April 30.
Several elected officials were not in agreement with the actions of law enforcement on Virginia’s college campuses as it pertains to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution regarding freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.
“Excessive force towards students who are protesting non-violently is unacceptable. The right to assemble peacefully is a hallmark of our democracy, which we must protect,” wrote House of Delegates member Rae Cousins, whose district covers Richmond.
“This suppression of free speech and incitement of violence by Glenn Youngkin is shameful. This must stop. Richmond's leadership needs to send a clear message that we will not tolerate his antics on college campuses in the city,” wrote Richmond School Board member Kenya Gibson on social media regarding VCU.
Gov. Youngkin is scheduled to speak as VCU’s commencement speaker on May 11.
“This is unacceptable VCU,” wrote Virginia State Senator Saddam Salim. “Sending in the police to break up a peaceful protest at a public university is a complete violation of these students’ right to free speech and assembly,” he added. Earlier on April 29, Senator Salim remarked on free speech with regard to students at Virginia Tech and University of Mary Washington.
Jahd Khalil, a reported for NPR affiliate VPM, wrote, “listening to my tape, after VCU police arrived on the scene, they warned protestors they would arrest them for trespassing, waited three minutes, made another warning, and then moved in. All in all it took about 12 minutes between police's arrival and their use of force.”
Who gave the order and who was in command last night at Virginia Commonwealth University is unknown.
Speaking from Germany, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is on a trade mission, was asked on April 28 by CNN’s Dana Bash about protests at Virginia Tech. During that interview, Gov. Youngkin stated that, “we’re not gonna have encampments and tents put up.”
Though Gov. Youngkin he referred freedom of expression, many who were at Virginia Commonwealth University last night noted that they believed that police action last night violated freedom of speech.
“I can't even count how many VCU students were brutalized and gassed just now,” attorney Jessica Lee wrote on social media at 9:18 p.m. on the night of April 29.
“And the ominous siren is blaring again. Helping students who were blinded. All are scared for students who were beaten. This is beyond dystopian. I'm so sickened,” Lee added from VCU.
In Aug. 2022, the City of Richmond paid $1.6 million to settle 122 damage claims from the teargassing of racial justice advocates at the Lee Monument in July 2020. In Dec. 2021, the city of Richmond paid close to $300,000 in settlements after activists alleged police misconduct after Richmond Police teargassed individuals at the Lee Monument as reported by WRIC’s Dean Mirshahi.
“First we have to begin with the fact that freedom of expression and peacefully demonstrating is at the heart of our first amendments and we must protect it. But that does not go to in fact intimidating Jewish students and preventing them from attending class and using annihilation speech to express deeply antisemitic views,” Gov. Youngkin told CNN from Germany on April 28.
There are no known reports of Jewish students being prevented from attending class at VCU, though there were several reporters of restrictive activity targeting Jewish students regarding Columbia University in New York.
“Therefore I have been working with our Attorney General Jason Miyares and university presidents, law enforcement at the state and local and campus level to make sure that if there are protests they are peaceful. We’re not gonna have encampments and tents put up. Yes we will protect the ability to peacefully express yourself but we’re not going to have the kinds of hate speech and intimidation that we are seeing across the country in Virginia,” Gov. Youngkin added on CNN.
“Freedom of speech and the right to protest are rights protected by the United States Constitution. Full stop,” stated Delegate Rozia Henson of Prince William.
“Arresting students for exercising their constitutionally protected rights to peacefully assemble and protest violence erodes confidence in our own governmental institutions and must be closely scrutinized,” Del. Henson added.
“The governor's use of xenophobia against Muslims and Arabs further exacerbates societal divisions and dehumanizes citizens. Using bigotry to further political agendas is unacceptable,” stated Delegate Joshua Cole of Fredericksburg in a statement with Henson and other Delegates on April 29.
“Governor Youngkin should not violate the civil liberties of protesters as a political stunt,” Del. Cole added.
Del. Cole may have been referring to the political battle lines around free speech as it relates to Israel and the power of one of the most effective lobbies in U.S. politics: AIPAC.
Republican Governors and members of Congress who have already taken a distinctively pro-Israel stance are in full support of cracking down hard on student protests on college campuses and talk of colleges “divesting” from Israel. The pro-Israel political calculus has come up against the U.S. Constitution and the rights of free speech and protest, particularly when the speech is deemed unpopular.
Supporters of a cease fire are pointing to the rising death toll of Palestinian citizens in Gaza as reported so far in the conflict — now estimated at over 34,000. After the April 1, 2024 killings of seven aid workers from the well known non-profit World Central Kitchen by the Israeli Army, criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached fever pitch. The criticism was broken by an attack on Israeli by Iran on April 17.
Still, Virginia Congressman Don Beyer had seen enough. In a detailed statement on April 20, Beyer explained his “no” vote on sending $26 billion to Israel as codified in H.R. 8034, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. Congress passed the bill on April 20.
Rep. Beyer, who represents Arlington, was joined by Rep. Bob Good, who represents more conservative Danville and Lynchburg, in voting against more aid to Israel. Reps. Beyer and Good were the only two members of the Virginia delegation to vote against the aid to Israel.
“I have repeatedly condemned Hamas’ horrific attacks since October 7 and steadfastly called for the release of all hostages. Since that day, the United States has provided massive and costly military, intelligence, and diplomatic support to Israel,” Rep. Beyer’s April 20 statement began.
“The IDF campaign in Gaza has resulted in far too many civilian casualties, which significantly undercut claims of rigorous targeting or careful adherence to rules of engagement. Too many well-documented incidents have either gone uninvestigated or resulted in pro forma investigations that do not lead to consequences or corrections… The disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighted by the absurdity of the United States airdropping supplies and building a pier while our Israeli allies impede supplies via land crossings and Israeli ports, has only improved in recent weeks due to threats of a change in US policy,” Congressman Beyer, who served as Virginia’s 36th Lt. Governor under Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, went on.
“Israel simply does not need fiscal assistance from the United States at the level contained in this bill. Israel is a wealthy nation with the ability to borrow, and recently-passed appropriations language provided Israel with $3.8 billion. I support humanitarian assistance and have voted in the past to fund defensive capabilities including Iron Dome, but too much of this funding is likely to pay for weapons that recent history says will lead to more civilian deaths,” Rep. Beyer concluded.
Students and Virginia Commonwealth University are planning more protests on campus today.
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