IU board ratifies new policy on public demonstrations
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The Indiana University board of trustees Monday approved a new policy governing protests and demonstrations following an independent report that found inconsistent enforcement in the wake of a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus.
The new policy, which outlines what is and what is not permitted, aims to support public demonstrations that don’t substantially disrupt university operations or hinder the demonstrations of others, IU said.
The policy will go into effect Aug. 1.
The board’s vote to approve the policy occurred during a special meeting Monday and came after a report by the Cooley LLP law firm assessed the events that unfolded in April in IU Bloomington’s Dunn Meadow. Police arrested 57 protesters.
“The Dunn Meadow report validated the need to update policies that were outdated, unclear and inconsistent across IU’s campuses,” trustees Chair Quinn Buckner said in a news release. “Indiana University has a longstanding commitment to advancing free speech. In order for free speech for all to flourish, we needed to clarify our policies so people clearly understand the allowable time, manner and place for free expression. We can’t let one person or group’s expression infringe on the rights of others, disrupt learning experiences for our students or interrupt regular university business.”
While the new policy permits actions such as assembly in public areas, making speeches, carrying signs, distributing flyers and writing with water-soluble chalk on sidewalks, it prohibits behaviors such as the use of temporary structures without approval at least 10 days in advance, outdoor amplified sounds that disrupts others, or applying permanent markings on university property.
Further details of the policy are available online at freespeech.iu.edu.