JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Just after 17 people were arrested after protesting on the University of North Florida’s campus, the campus is much quieter than Thursday night.
University police arrested eight students and eight adults after they refused to leave campus during a pro-Palestinian rally.
The rally came as tensions have been rising on college and university campuses across the county as people speak out about the Israel-Hamas war.
Another rally was held on the steps of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was an event to stand in solidarity with the demonstrators taken into custody, who were held on a $500 bond for trespassing.
“These encampments that are popping up across the country, some of them are a bit bigger than ours. And so some have called them more disruptive, the fact is all of them are peaceful protests,” Jay Dodge, a member of Students of the Democratic Society said.
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Dodge said they set up encampments to demonstrate how Palestinians are living in Gaza.
“Make it something that people who have been ignoring the situation for the last six months can’t ignore any longer,” Dodge said.
Several of the protestors bonded out on Thursday afternoon.
UNF President Doctor Moez Limayem released a statement asking students not to protest inside the university buildings during events, and increased security was seen at Friday’s undergraduate ceremonies at UNF but there were no signs of protesters.