URBANA — After University of Illinois students formed encampments on the Main Quad last spring, the Champaign-Urbana university published an update to its policies on campus demonstrations.
U of I said the update just clarified existing policies, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois said in an open letter Wednesday that it has led to new punishments for student speech. The ACLU has been in touch with the Students for Environmental Concerns since students were disciplined for a protest the group has done for a decade.
“They knew about the new regulations. They read them. They went out of their way for their September protests to comply with them,” said ACLU Illinois spokesperson Ed Yohnka. “They ended up being disciplined.”
He said one student was even mistakenly put on academic hold, because the notice of disciplinary action was addressed to the wrong person.
According to Yohnka, traditional protest techniques like chanting or chalking messages on sidewalks could violate the rules.
He said it is particularly important for the university to reconsider these policies, since students are likely to protest incoming President Donald Trump’s actions on abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and deportations.
“If the regulations are enforced in this way that we’ve seen, I suspect we’ll see more students disciplined for speaking out on issues that are of national concern,” Yohnka added. “I think that would be really sad.”
According to University of Illinois spokesperson Robin Kaler, SEC students were disciplined based on longstanding policies related to obstructing pedestrian or motor traffic and using bullhorns.
“As a public land-grant university, we recognize our institutional responsibility to be a venue for the furtherance of public debate and discussion,” she said.