Pro-Palestinian protesters were spray-painted by a contractor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio early Tuesday morning as they stood in front of a campus Spirit Wall that had been hijacked by Hamas supporters who had painted it over with anti-Israel messages. The protesters, who wore clear plastic face shields, stood directly in front of the wall in an effort to prevent the contractors from doing their job. A pro-Hamas encampment at CWRU is now in its second week.
Video posted by the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine group shows one of the contractors spray-painting the protesters, with one covered in white paint. The group posted the video to Instagram with the message in nearly all caps, “AROUND 5 AM THIS MORNING, STUDENTS WERE SPRAYED WITH PAINT WHILE CONTRACTORS CALLED BY CWRU ATTEMPTED TO COVER THE SPIRIT WALL. THEY LATER CAME CLOSER TO NOON AND COVERED THE ENTIRE WALL WITH PAINT. THE STUDENTS FOLLOWED THE SPIRIT WALL POSTING POLICY, AND ADMIN STILL HAD A PROBLEM. The lengths this university goes to defend Zionist Genocidal interests is insane.”
Copy of the Instagram video:
Contractors hired to paint at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio decided the protesters wouldn’t stop them from doing their job today pic.twitter.com/QuF6tsJnj4
— Dixie (@OSiiNT) May 7, 2024
Video posted by Cleveland.com
Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler issued a statement Wednesday denouncing the spray-painting of the protesters:
An update on an overnight incident at the Spirit Wall
To the Case Western Reserve community:Earlier today, I wrote to you noting that the university was investigating an incident in which an individual who was painting over protesters’ writings on the Spirit Wall hit student protesters with paint. I have reviewed video footage, which depicts students blocking the wall as a third-party contractor spray painted directly onto protesters as he attempted to finish painting the wall, and I am disturbed by what occurred.
Let me be clear: No students—or any individuals—should ever be treated this way, especially on a campus where our core values center on providing a safe, welcoming environment. This is not who we are as an institution, and I am deeply sorry this ever occurred.
The university will continue to fully investigate these actions and hold individuals responsible for this behavior, including the failure of our own officers to intervene.
Again, I want to reiterate my sincere regret for this incident. As with any violation of our codes of conduct, we will take action to hold them accountable.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Kaler
President
Kaler previously issued a statement criticizing the protesters for painting “threatening, intimidating and antisemitic” messages on campus walls.
Addressing intimidating speech on university property: May 7, 2024
To the Case Western Reserve community,I fully support individuals’ rights to share their viewpoints in accordance with our freedom of expression policy. However, that policy—and the core values that define our university—have been continually violated over the past eight days, including yesterday afternoon when protesters at the non-sanctioned encampment on Kelvin Smith Library Oval painted an advocacy wall near Eldred Hall with language the university administration and many members of our community view as threatening, intimidating and antisemitic.
As I have repeatedly noted, constructive, meaningful exchanges should never involve harassment, incitement, or behavior that threatens and is intimidating to our community. I strongly condemn the language posted yesterday on the advocacy wall, and want to reiterate to our entire community that such language—no matter to whom it is directed—will not be tolerated on our campus.
After defacing the advocacy wall, later in the evening, the protesters painted the spirit wall near Thwing Center with language that was less threatening but still intimidating to some in our community. The university has painted over the advocacy wall and will complete painting over the spirit wall this morning. The university is investigating an incident in which one or more protesters blocking the spirit wall were hit by paint.
The students involved in yesterday’s advocacy wall painting and those who continue to break university policy by remaining in an unapproved encampment on private property will be held fully accountable for their actions through the conduct process. Any faculty and staff members who take part in activities that violate the freedom of expression policy—which this encampment does—also will be required to go through a conduct process. The actions of all participants, whether within or outside the CWRU community, may also be in violation of criminal or civil law.
I understand and appreciate the importance of advocating for a cause that is deeply personal and undeniably tragic, as the Israel-Hamas war and the resulting loss of lives are in Israel and Gaza. But advocacy for a cause is most persuasive when it goes back to those core values upon which Case Western Reserve operates, with responsibility, civility and ethical behavior among them. I urge the student protesters to remove the encampment and begin the student conduct process.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Kaler
Cleveland’s mayor and chief of police issued a joint statement, reported WOIO-TV:
Mayor Justin Bibb and Chief Annie Todd Respond to Recent Incidents on the CWRU Campus
In light of the recent video that surfaced from the CWRU campus, which displays individuals being painted over with spray paint, it is crucial that we express our stance unambiguously.
Cleveland is a city for everyone, and we must respect the thoughts, feelings, and voices of those who come from various backgrounds. These diverse perspectives are what makes us special, and ultimately stronger, as a city. Our community deserves venues where they have the ability to constitutionally-express their opinions openly without fear of criminal interference. We support 1st Amendment rights and implore CWRU leadership to consider this and think about how the decisions they make and the actions they take – especially against those who are abiding by the law – will influence some of the progress we have collectively made as a city. At the same time, we urge individuals to demonstrate peacefully.
We want to be clear in that we condemn all forms of violence and the Division of Police stands ready to offer support should that occur. Public safety has been and always will be our number one priority.
Mayor Bibb & Chief Todd
WOIO also reported a student protester named Raissa complaining about the incident:
“It was a pressurized paint gun spraying harmful chemicals with carcinogens and toxins directly with no concern for health or the well-being of an individual who is paying to be here,” said Raissa.
“We had some students talking to the police like how can they do this. The painters were like were following orders. The police said we’re following orders from higher administrative and I guess they didn’t think of the morality of what they were doing,” said Raissa.
Video of the encampment posted early Monday:
Case Western Reserve University issued a disperse order on Thursday. The Protesters have seemed to have doubled down by taking over the entire mall. Tensions are rising as I was met for the first time by about 10 non-hostile protesters asking me for identification. pic.twitter.com/272W90wM84
— Dan Stamness (@DStamness) May 6, 2024
The campus protest continued Wednesday evening:
On day 11 of their encampment, Case Western Reserve students to stage a sit in outside university administration building. pic.twitter.com/kwpbTvw66v
— Samer Badawi (@readsamerbadawi) May 9, 2024