by William Stauber Soik
Milwaukee – The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee handed out temporary suspensions to five student organizations associated with the UWM Popular University for Palestine coalition on Wednesday, July 31, citing a social media post that denounced Zionist organizations.
The coalition stated on July 19th in a post on its Instagram story that groups supporting Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza “will not be welcomed or normalized at UWM,” specifically naming Hillel Milwaukee and Milwaukee Jewish Federation. The university was quick to condemn the post, claiming in a letter sent to the UWM community that it “contained intimidating language aimed at Jewish community members and organizations on campus that support Israel.”
The coalition’s five member organizations that were suspended include Muslim Students Association (MSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), and Un-PAC. Before the suspension, all five student-run organizations were recognized by the university and stood as voices for Palestinian liberation on campus.
Since the Hamas attacks of October 7th of last year, Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza as well as the destruction of nearly every university and school in the besieged enclave. Israel’s actions in Gaza have resulted in widespread condemnation from the international community, including a charge of genocide brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice.
The UWM Popular Coalition for Palestine rose to prominence in early May when students and community members camped out on the campus lawn, protesting the university’s undisclosed ties to Israel. Coalition negotiators agreed to remove the encampment in exchange for a public agreement from UWM to condemn genocide and call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Since then, the coalition has been engaged in ongoing campaigning for Palestinian liberation.
While UWM characterized the suspensions as temporary in its July 31st letter, the length of each organization’s suspension has not yet been made public.
