The University’s chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America organized a silent protest on Wednesday afternoon on the Main Quad to emphasize the importance of free speech on University property and explain the nature of the University’s policy on expressive activity. The policy was issued in May 2022 and revised this August.
Demonstration attendees raised concerns about the changes to University policy, including the restrictions limiting signs to a maximum size of 11-by-17 inches and the 75-decibel limit for expression using amplified sound devices.
The demonstrators stood shoulder-to-shoulder with one another, most dressed in red and holding cardboard signs on the north end of the Main Quad. One of the signs read, “Don’t clap too loudly; it’s against campus policy.” Another said, “Do you know your rights?”
Gavin Volker, treasurer of the University’s YDSA chapter and senior in ACES, explained the group’s strategy behind the silent protest.
“If we’re being compliant by holding signs that are 11-by-17 or smaller, by speaking under 75 decibels, people will see our physical presence, and they’ll go, ‘Man, they’re really hindered by these policies, they’re clearly not getting the word out about their opinion and what they’re trying to express,’” Volker said.
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The University’s website cites the United States Constitution to permit free speech on campus, but demonstrators argue that the University’s expressive activity policy contradicts this principle.
“As a campus that claims to promote healthy discussion and protest, these policies are really stifling our ability to do so,” said Sam Levenhagen, chairperson of YDSA at the University and junior in LAS. “We’re hoping that we can get admin to take another look at these policies and change them in a way that makes our campus the way it once was with protests.”
Since the beginning of the semester, changes to the Campus Administrative Manual have been a topic of concern for RSOs. Following a Massmail sent to students in August, RSOs expressed worries about the policy’s implications and its impact on the future of campus demonstrations.
Volker and Levenhagen explained their belief that the adjustments to University policy are not coincidental and were largely influenced by the pro-Palestine encampment earlier this spring.
“A lot of these policies are absurd, and a lot of them, we believe, are due to the pro-Palestinian encampments that happened in May,” Volker said. “Our actions are protected by the Illinois Campus Free Speech Act or the state constitution, and as a federal public institution, the University needs to comply with things such as the Illinois Campus Free Speech Act.”
Around 12:30 p.m., the demonstrators began to form smaller groups. Some handed out flyers that said, “UIUC VIOLATES STUDENTS’ RIGHTS” and included a QR code encouraging others to sign a petition to reverse the policy changes.
“One point we want to make is that this affects everybody, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum,” Levenhagen said. “This is going to affect any group that’s trying to hold a protest or lobby for anything that they care about. This doesn’t just affect leftist organizations; this is something that’s going to affect everybody, so I think everybody has a reason to care about this. That’s why we’re here, trying to inform people.”
