In an email to the Bryn Mawr community, President Wendy Cadge announced that Bi-Co Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Bryn Mawr Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have been placed on interim suspension after disrupting a Bryn Mawr in Focus event in Goodhart Hall this morning.
As part of Bryn Mawr in Focus, which is organized for admitted students, the President’s Welcome took place in Goodhart Theatre. During the event, members of SJP and JVP entered the auditorium wearing keffiyeh’s and chanting. The email from Cadge stated that by using bullhorns with amplified sound for their chants, both groups created “a frightening environment with potential dangers to others’ hearing and safety.”
Both groups received notifications which outlined the terms of their suspensions. SJP posted a screenshot of this email notification which stated that any funds provided to the organization by the Student Finance Committee (SFC) are suspended and they are barred from organizing events. As such, their access to campus room and building reservation has been revoked. The email to SJP also stated that a formal investigation is set to follow and the organization will have the opportunity to appeal within 5 business days.
SJP and JVP took responsibility for the protest in an instagram post on SJP’s account where they demanded a meeting with the Board of Trustees to “hold them accountable for their complicity in these crimes.” The instagram post also included a video of the disruption where members chanted for divestment, stating “it has been 562 days of genocide since October 7… 60 Palestinians were killed in Gaza last night.”
Referencing the undergraduate student handbook, Cadge stated that the actions of both groups violated the Freedom of Speech and Limits of Dissent policies of Bryn Mawr College. The investigation is still ongoing and Cadge concluded the email by requesting that members of the Bryn Mawr community step forward with information that could identify members involved in the protest. She noted that consequences for involvement may include suspension.
Bryn Mawr administration declined to give comment and Bi-Co News has reached out to Bryn Mawr SJP and Bi-Co JVP for comment.
