Emerson College announces protest limitations, conduct changes
By Madison Lucchesi
Emerson College announced new demonstration policies on Friday. Official student organizations must register its protest with the College and protests will occur in designated indoor spaces.
The policy prohibits any Emerson events occurring in the 2 Boylston Place alley, the site of Emerson’s Pro-Palestine encampment in the spring. It also bans tents and temporary and permanent structures from demonstrations.
Emerson’s President, Jay Bernhardt, sent an email with the subject “Together for a new semester” to staff and students. He wrote, “While we acknowledge the challenges we faced as a community in the Spring semester, we return to campus with a shared desire to uplift Emerson to new levels of performance and engagement, now and in the future.”
In April, the encampment ended with the arrest of 118 people for violating a city ordinance that prohibits unlawful camping on public property in the public right of way. The college prohibited demonstrations in the alleyway after the arrests were made. The guidelines on the right to protest remained unedited until Friday.
If students are arrested for protesting, “the College will not offer financial assistance for bail, facilitate housing arrangements in connection with related legal issues, or seek the dismissal of charges.” Emerson will not interfere with legal proceedings at any level.
The announcement also included numerous changes to the Student Code of Conduct. The language of the conduct policy has been simplified for understanding. Students are no longer allowed to have whiteboards on their residence hall doors.
The code now contains parameters created for political statements made by student organizations. In response to April’s arrests, many student groups released statements on their stance on the arrests and the war between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier this week, the college announced the Emerson Together initiative, focused on community healing and bridging the administration and students.