To understand policies in place at Virginia's colleges and universities for allowing students to exercise their protected right to free speech while maintaining campus safety, and the part local and state police play in the security ecosystem; and to identify areas where we can improve state policies in order to mitigate the incidents of unrest and arrest that we have witnessed this spring. 1) Please show the speakers on the livestream. 2) The process should be transparent, with any police interaction allowing constitutional right of free speech. Also, the evidence of an arrest should be clearly vetted and transparent to the public. If an arrest is made, one must know exactly who (or what organization) initiated the action, and who conducted the arrest, 3) As a proud parent of two Virginia university graduates, I value this resource. The university experience must include critical thinking and sometimes difficult discussions. 4) Lastly, I believe that the issue of protesting the actions of the state of Israel as a result of their human rights violations is not antisemitic. The IHRA definition (with its examples) conflates antisemitism with the constitutional right to protest the human rights violations/ actions of the state of Israel. Thank you.

Members of the House of Delegates, My name is Isabella Majarowitz and I am a student at George Mason University, a self-proclaimed "innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world". Why then, has my university violently suppressed the voices of some of its student body? The university has been imagined as a space where critical discussions and inquiry is fostered, where both students and educators can collectively build knowledge and skills. Student organizations like the GMU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) are a crucial part of this effort, because they provide spaces for students to engage with our educational system and the world around us in a more critical way, in the hopes of imagining and creating a more "just, free, and prosperous world". The recent police raid on the home of student organizers highlights the fundamental hypocrisy of GMU and many other educational institutions: they may promote an image of themselves as inherently good and inclusive, yet are heavily invested in the systems of oppression (racism, imperialism, settler-colonialism, capitalism) that prevent genuine systemic change. I was appalled when I learned that the police had raided the home of two of my fellow students and had taken away their electronics. In concert with the Fairfax County Police Department and GMU police officers, administrators at GMU not only raided the home of two students--causing trauma and harm to them and their families--but also robbed them of the opportunity to continue their education, demonstrating that inclusion in this university is conditional on conformity and silence. As someone studying Social Justice and Human Rights at GMU, I cannot sit by and watch my university target and suppress Palestinian students and other student organizers for raising awareness about and protesting the active genocide of their loved ones and community. It has been more than a year of this genocide, and yet every day we see photos and videos of people being massacred, displaced, disabled, and forced to live in fear. By suppressing GMU SJP and the voices of Palestinian students, GMU is not taking a neutral stance: my university is saying that their cries for justice and freedom are not important and should not be heard. As a GMU student, I am calling on the university administrators to revoke their trespass orders against the two students, immediately reinstate the GMU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) as an RSO (Registered Student Organization), and conduct a full and independent investigation of the decisions leading to the police raid of the students' house on November 7th. If the university wants to practice what it preaches and live up to its values of freedom of speech, inclusion, and diversity, then these steps must be taken to address this gross violation of students rights. I sincerely believe that us protesting against genocide should never be met with institutional repression and retaliation. Thank you for your time!

Please see attached for written testimony.

Simply enforce existing regulations on Virginia’s college campuses to protect ALL students! There is no reason to enact additional regulations. There should be consequences for breaking regulations. Students who assault (physically or verbally) other students should suffer the consequence for their actions. Even if that means being expelled from school if the infraction warrants it. And even if that means possible deportation from the US when a student visa is lost. Allow freedom of speech on Virginia’ college campuses as well. If a student doesn’t want to hear what someone else has to say, they can stay away. But they should not be allowed to shout that speaker down and shut down the program. The pervasiveness of hateful and extreme rhetoric and the absence of any alternate perspectives on Virginia’ college campuses has created an atmosphere that has been hostile for many Jewish students and faculty members at Virginia’s colleges. Furthermore, in 2024, there is no reason for our college campuses to be a place where antisemitism is given a pass.  To understand where some of these actions have crossed over into antisemitism, I refer you to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as passed into Virginia Law in 2023 (HB 1606/SB 1252).  The Definition is also accompanied with eleven modern examples of antisemitic sentiments and actions, ranging from accusing the Jewish people of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust to denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination. The definition and its examples are meant to be used as an educational tool for those who are responsible for identifying and combating antisemitism, including police, prosecutors, and judges. It also allows government and non-governmental agencies with a framework for recognizing, monitoring, and analyzing antisemitism. The Working Definition is intended to define antisemitism and not sanction speech. The First Amendment protects all speech, including racist, xenophobic, homophobic and antisemitic speech. But when determining the motivation of hate crimes or patterns of discrimination—it is important to know what antisemitism is. The Definition, with its examples as it relates to Israel, is intended to distinguish between legitimate criticism and what might otherwise be thinly disguised forms of antisemitism. These include accusing Jews of “dual-loyalty,” comparing Israeli politicians to Nazis, and collectively holding all Jewish people responsible for the actions of Israel. This latter example is possibly the most worrisome. Jewish students on Virginia’s college campuses are not responsible for what Israel, or the Israel Defense Forces, does to defend the Jewish State from the Iran supported Axis of Evil that surrounds it. The war in Gaza and Lebanon are current examples of this. The IHRA Definition includes a clause that states “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic,” to highlight this distinction. The Definition is not meant to suppress political speech. The Definition does not take a side on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. All it does is point out ways anti-Israel sentiment can sometimes deviate into antisemitism. It is the obligation, not just of this House committee, but also the Virginia Department of Education to protect Jewish students on Virginia’s college campuses.

Good afternoon honorable chair and fellow delegates, My name is Eli Weinger, and I am a 3rd year student at the University of Virginia. I have testified before many of you before, but today I am here representing myself, today, I would like to tell you my story. If any of you would like to follow up with me, I’ve provided my email in my written testimony. I grew up in Rockland county, New York, and attended Jewish day school from the age of 4 to 14. I went to synagogue with my mother almost every shabbat. From the time I was little, I was taught about the horrors of the holocaust and consistently faced with the question I believe we all must ask ourselves when it comes to such instances of horror,“how was this monstrosity allowed to occur?” And, “how can we ensure nothing of the like ever happens again?” I was 7 or 8 when I first read Martin Niemhollers famous poem in my history class, parts of that poem read, “First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.” I was taught and believe strongly to this day that it is all of our responsibility to speak up against injustice, and that is what students were doing when state police were called to UVA by President Jim Ryan on May 4th of 2024. I watched in horror as two officers pinned a girl a third their size to the ground while a third took off her goggles to pepper spray her at point-blank range. I watched as my friends bled from their eyes while we pleaded for help from ambulance workers who told us the administration had specifically prohibited medical staff from providing treatment to protestors. The only time I have felt unsafe as a Jewish student at the University of Virginia is when President Ryan used my identity and culture as a cudgel with which to violently oppress constitutionally protected speech. Since then, the administration has continued to repress free expression and has changed its rules surrounding speech, not to protect students, but to ensure that its leaders’ aren’t inconvenienced by speech they disagree with. Students, professors, parents, and everyday Virginians across this commonwealth are speaking up, pleading for help in the wake of the repression of speech we face from our universities. The only question is, will you listen? I pray that you do, for the sake of our democracy. If you would like to reach out and hear more from students like me, please reach out at eliweinger@gmail.com.

Statement from the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, Jewish Community Relations Committee to the House Select Committee on Maintaining Campus Safety and First Amendment Expression Review of the current situation, impact on pro-Israel Jewish students, including photos and links to videos, and recommendations.

I wanted to reach out today as an alumni of Virginia Tech and Old Dominion university, a former instructor at both Virginia Tech and George Mason University, and a current Professor of English at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, VA. Though I do not have first-hand experience attending the Spring 2024 pro-Palestine student protests of the Gaza war at our four-year Virginia colleges, I do have multiple family members and former students who currently attend VCU and other VA four-year colleges, some of whom were involved directly or indirectly. I was also very disturbed to see videos online from credible journalists and news organizations showing the harsh police repression of non-violent student protestors at VCU, Virginia Tech, and other Virginia universities. Treating student protestors for Palestinian rights in this reprehensible and violent way not only contradicts the rights to free expression and protest, but also contradicts students’ sense of belonging that we educators typically try to cultivate. This type of violent repression of student protests must end, and those responsible must be held accountable. In addition to my experience as a former student and current college educator in Virginia, I also traveled to Israel and the West Bank a few years ago and directed and produced a documentary about non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation. Moreover, I also wrote a Ph.D. dissertation focused on analyzing the rhetoric of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and have also recently published a peer-reviewed article about the BDS movement on US college campuses. Thus, I have some expertise in the rhetoric and reality of the protest movement against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, which provides me with insight about the recent student-led protest movement in the US. The way the pro-Palestinian US student protest movement of 2024 has been mischaracterized compels me to speak out and share my perspective on the events. I have attached a longer document below, which includes references to support my arguments about the ways the student protest movement has been misrepresented by those who do not understand the reality of the situation in Israel/Palestine and who continue to support Israel's war crimes and thus seek to undermine and repress those who protest against Israel's actions. Please see the attached document for more information. Thank you. Jennifer Hitchcock, Ph.D Richmond, VA resident

Chairwoman Herring, Vice Chair Kilgore, and members of the House Select Committee on Maintaining Campus Safety and First Amendment Expression, thank you for considering my comments today on an issue that deeply affects Virginia’s students. My name is Ella Kotok, and I am a Jewish second-year student at the University of Virginia studying Sociology and Foreign Affairs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend today in person due to an exam, but I appreciate this opportunity to share my perspective. Last year was an extremely difficult time to be a Jewish on a college campus. From professors incentivizing attendance at a “teach-in” on Palestine to “social justice warriors” harassing Jewish students during a fundraiser, antisemitism was pervasive and ubiquitous. Recently, three student council members abstained from a resolution to establish academic accommodations for Jewish students on Yom Kippur, despite an identical resolution for Ramadan passing unanimously. So, it’s clear why the week of May 4th was especially tense. Violent encampments at other campuses sparked widespread fear among students and the administration. At UVa, an encampment began to form, blatantly violating University policies. It became clear that for the protestors, “civil disobedience” meant brinkmanship – see how much they could get away with, and don’t go down without causing a scene. The University did right by its students in shutting down the encampment. However, the lack of transparency regarding University policy and the quick escalation and disproportionality of the response ended up, in my opinion, doing Jewish students more harm than good. Jews have long suffered from the antisemitic trope of control, making us convenient scapegoats. When the University deployed state police in riot gear against unarmed protestors who, despite their hateful rhetoric, had yet to escalate the situation to warrant such a response, it reinforced the exact image the protestors sought. They got the “pepper spray photo-ops” that were prominently featured in The Cavalier Daily, presenting themselves as oppressed and framing Jewish students as the oppressors. The University’s intentions were correct, but there is room for growth. A coherent plan is needed for handling protests of this nature, as they are unlikely to disappear. For example, during finals week, “study-ins” organized by pro-Palestinian activists have occupied entire rooms and tables in libraries. Students wear face coverings and display inflammatory signs like “Israel is a terrorist state” and “Israel is burning people alive.” Jewish students now share information about which library rooms to avoid. This is an entirely inappropriate setting for such speech, – it’s hard to imagine similar conduct being tolerated if directed at another ethnic group.The University must establish a contingency plan for when these protests inevitably escalate further. Jewish students thank you for your consideration of our voices. We are a small minority, but we bear the brunt of these issues. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter and for your ongoing efforts to serve the Commonwealth. Sincerely, Ella Kotok

The public safety has never been infringed upon by free expression, nor could it be. On the contrary, the unmitigated right to free speech is the bedrock upon which the rest of organized democracy is built, and, coupled with free inquiry, drives our advancement as an evolving civilization. To hamper this expression to do nominal good at the behest of squelching this liberty only proves, time and again, to exacerbate social tensions and reverse the long arc of justice. If you wish to be a harbinger of public and student safety, open dialogue, stand in solidarity with the sacred tradition of American liberty, and fight bigotry (which is as we know forged in ignorance), than let us have the courage to stand up for free expression in every occasion, be it temporally convenient or not.

Hello, my name is Sky Evans and I am a third year undergraduate student at VCU. This is my testimony regarding the April 29th, 2024 altercation that occurred between the student protestors at VCU and the VCU, Richmond, and State Police. It was finals time and I was hanging out in the compass getting food when I noticed people starting to set up signs, cardboard sheets, and pallets in the grassy square next to Cabell library. As an Israeli-American and Jewish student, you might expect for me to have felt fear or unwelcomed by this group, but that is absolutely not the case. I would like to make it clear what my stance is. The Israel-Palestine conflict is at best a conflict between two terrorist organizations, the Israeli government and Hamas. Fundamentally, the situation in Gaza is objectively a human rights problem and any arguments appealing to any sort of anti-semetism or zionism as reasons to defend the actions of the Israeli government fail to persuade and are, in some respect, red herrings. Some friends and I, in solidarity with the protestors went and sat and ate food for about 45 minutes. This was peaceful. It was akin to a grateful dead concert in terms of the vibes on the grassy square. There was no anti-semetism present and I have never experienced anything of the sort from any of the pro-palestine protests on campus. There were people crocheting, eating, playing drums, playing music, etc. Afterwards, and this is around 5 o'clock, I went up to the third floor of the library to get my studying done. At around 8:00 a line of police cruisers lined up around the Cathedral and Monroe Park. I was overlooking the field with the protestors and the police from the third floor of Cabell. At around 8:30, the VCU Police formed a line, all equipped in riot gear. They began to advance on the crowd of protestors, who had aptly fortified themselves with the world’s most reliable defense, plywood. As the VCU police advanced, empty plastic water-bottles were thrown from the crowd, which I must have been quite harrowing for the large men with shields. Pepper spray and other crowd dispersal substances were used indiscriminately and in fairly large quantities. The riot police basically proceeded to eviscerate the student protestors with the grace of an abusive father. I witnessed one of the riot officers charge at and shield bash a girl as if he were a spartan or something, knocking her back like 10 feet to the ground very violently. There was no inkling of restraint on the part of the law enforcement that night. All of this I have captured on video. I encourage you all to think critically about what transpired that night. If you had a child that was a student here, and they participated, all things remaining equal, would you treat the law enforcement with the same sentiment that you are now? If you had been there that night, in the crowd, how would your perspective have changed? This country is founded on a very important idea. Freedom of speech. I firmly believe that the founders of this nation, regardless of their personal opinions towards the content of these protests, would firmly defend these student’s capacity to protest, and for them to do so without oppression. That's literally the entire point of the first amendment. In conclusion, you have a choice to make. Will you defend the rights of these students, regardless of how it affects you personally, or will you choose to set a precedent of oppression and censorship?

Please see attached PDF

Thank you so much for listening to my input. On the night of April 29, 2024, I first heard about the VCU protests through a group chat with my classmates on WhatsApp. Almost immediately, I was struck with fear about violence against a Jewish student. The next day, I had a quiz in class that was not allowed to be made up, and despite that consequence, my immediate thought was still to skip class the next day to avoid any possibility whatsoever that I would be blockaded from entering class that day in an effort to “occupy” my building. I was already aware on other campuses that students were being blocked from attending classes, so I anticipated that possibility at VCU. It should not have been part of the plan that next day for my husband to drive me by that building and check to see whether that was occurring. There should not have been a question as to whether I would be able to attend class in a non-traumatizing fashion. I am calling for a policy that acknowledges the right of free speech without threat of violence or disruptions to my education. This policy should expressly have a plan in place should this occur again. I should not have to go through the same fears when I attend VCU to get an education, an education that I paid $5000 for as a part-time student in the spring semester and $8,600 as a full-time student this semester. All students, regardless of race, religion, culture, background, and lifestyle, should feel safe on this campus.