May 1, 8:00 p.m.

Illinois Student Council President Rudy LaFave and Vice President Hunter Farnham released a joint Instagram statement with other ISC members around 8 p.m. this evening condemning the University’s response to the pro-Palestinian encampment on the quad.

“Peaceful protestors sometimes have to break certain rules, not out of disregard for authority but out of a deep commitment to justice and human rights,” the statement read. “If the lawfulness of tents on our quad is concerning to you, we urge you to consider the Israeli government’s blatant violations of international law.”

In the post, they included a guide from the American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit human rights organization, on what to do if stopped by the police while protesting. 

They also included Students for Justice in Palestine’s four encampment demands for the University: divesting from organizations profiting off of or supporting Palestine’s occupation, disclosing all financial assets, cutting ties with Israeli institutions and offering student protestors amnesty. 

“We stand with our peers and call on the University to resume good-faith negotiations,” the post’s caption read.