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Iowa’s governor says law enforcement’s ready if pro-Palestinian protests cross the line
Governor Reynolds spoke with reporters on May 1, 2024. (RI photo)
Governor Kim Reynolds says unlawful activity will not be tolerated during the three days of pro-Palestinian demonstrations planned on the University of Iowa campus.
The group sponsoring the gatherings does not plan an encampment, but is calling for people to gather on the lawn around the Old Capitol Building from noon until 7 p.m. today as well as Saturday and Sunday to call for an end to the war in Gaza.
Governor Reynolds said people have a first amendment right to protest, “but they’re going to do it peacefully. We’re not going to allow hate speech. We’re not going to allow destruction. We’re not going to allow what we see happening in some of the universities across this country. It’s ridiculous. It’s putting people at risk.”
Reynolds was asked about pro-Palestinian protests in Iowa during a news conference in her statehouse office this week and she indicated law enforcement is prepared to respond, if needed. “We’re going to be respectful and as long as they abide by the laws and do it peacefully, then great,” Reynolds said, “but if it crosses that line, we will be ready.”
Reynolds cited a law passed in 2021 that increased the penalties for protest-related crimes like rioting, vandalism or blocking a highway. Reynolds criticized Columbia University officials in New York for letting the situation there “go way too far,” putting the entire student body at risk.
“There are students that paid tuition that may not even get to participate in a graduation,” Reynolds said, “and, oh by the way, these are the same students who didn’t get to participate in their high school graduation due to COVID.”
Iowa City’s “Students for Justice in Palestine” group is made up of students, faculty, staff and others in the community according to its online mission statement. The group says “from sit-ins to educational sessions,” it strives to support “the liberation of Palestinians and all oppressed people across the world.”
