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For years, three large, brightly painted craggy rocks announced events and conveyed symbolic messages at the University of Texas at Dallas, a staple of campus life.
Sometimes the message was political: “Vote Blue.” It may not be “Welcome, scholars!”
But on Monday morning, students discovered that the university had uprooted their favorite rock, known as Spirit Rocks, overnight and replaced it with a newly planted tree.
The rock's removal comes weeks after student groups took turns painting pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian messages on the rock's surface in response to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The October 7 terrorist attack and subsequent attack on Gaza sparked intense debate over the decades-old conflict, with many calling for a ceasefire. College campuses like the University of Texas at Dallas have become forums for these discussions, and in some cases, testing students' freedom of expression.
Israel has continued its air campaign in Gaza in the weeks since Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 people and took hundreds hostage. The brutal attacks have killed more than 11,000 people in Palestine, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip's Ministry of Health. On Tuesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a hostage exchange deal and a multi-day cessation of fighting.
Student protests across the country, often accompanied by calls for an end to the Israeli military's occupation of Palestinian land, have faced backlash from those who view these protests as anti-Semitic and supportive of Hamas. is inviting. Since then, university administrators have been tasked with addressing these accusations without suppressing student voices.
In a statement Monday after the rock removal, the university acknowledged the importance of free speech and said recent paintings related to the Middle East conflict were a significant departure from the original purpose of the public bulletin board.
“Spirit Rocks are not intended to be exhibits for broader political discussion, and because the painted messages are having a negative impact on people on and off campus, our best solution is to remove them.” ,” the statement reads.
Earlier this week, the university removed a page from its website outlining the purpose and guidelines for painting rocks. The University of Texas at Dallas did not respond to a list of questions about the rock and website removal.
For students, this removal came as a complete surprise.
“Not only was this a 180, but given the 15-year history, the reasoning given was hypocritical, lacking, and contradictory,” said political science senior Alex de Jesús. Told.
De Jesús said students used the stones to protest last year's abortion ruling, police brutality and the push to restrict LGBTQ+ rights. He said that for the 15 years that the quirky public forum has existed on campus, students have primarily taken care of the rock themselves. In the past, when hate speech appeared on the stones, students overwrote those messages.
A series of photos published by The Mercury, the student newspaper at the University of Texas at Dallas, show that between October 11 and 15, rocks were painted to resemble the Israeli flag, the Palestinian flag, and the separation between the two. Ta.
During that week, the largest spiritual stone swung between two flags within hours. At noon on Oct. 12, one of the rocks was painted to reflect the Palestinian flag and engraved with the message “No.” [peace] In stolen land. '' Two hours later, half of the rock was painted white and blue to resemble the Israeli flag and engraved with the message “We are winning.''
The following week, University of Texas at Dallas President Richard Benson issued a statement condemning the attack and praising the students' civil dissent over the conflict.
“Students are talking about their differences. They are collecting donations and protesting peacefully. They are shaking hands,” Benson wrote on Oct. 16.
In response, students criticized Benson for not recognizing the suffering of Palestinians due to Israeli airstrikes. On October 24, the University of Texas at Dallas Student Government Association passed a resolution calling for Mr. Benson to amend his previous statement to take into account the plight of the Palestinian people.
The next day, Benson responded to the resolution, acknowledging pain on both sides of the conflict and urging the campus to “recommit to assuming the goodwill of others and listening with kindness and empathy.” I asked for it.
About a month later, the spirit stone was removed.
How free speech on college campuses is regulated has been a perennial issue for decades. Conservatives have long argued that their political speech has been suppressed in traditionally liberal environments. More recently, Texas Republicans have passed legislation creating free speech protections over the past few years.
Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers banned offices of diversity, equity and inclusion at public universities in Texas, saying it would limit free speech on college campuses.
De Jesús said the timing of the rock removal was particularly poignant. That's because a new law will go into effect in 2024 that will eliminate the DEI office at the University of Texas at Dallas. And the rocks are caked with years of paint, and the special spaces that student groups of color and the LGBTQ+ community share their messages with are no longer part of campus life.
“And for us, this is a new chapter of something darker,” he said.
Disclosure: The University of Texas at Dallas provides financial support to The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by contributions from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. See the complete list of them here.
