Protesters disrupt Indiana University trustees meeting while Whitten speaks

Around 10 pro-Palestine protesters were escorted out of the room after repeatedly yelling over President Pamela Whitten's remarks to the Indiana University Board of Trustees.

The action was part of a rally organized outside of Henke Hall, where the trustees were meeting, calling for the Board of Trustees to terminate Whitten's presidency. The meeting was organized by the IU Divestment Coalition, the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition (IGWC), Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana and the IU Faculty Rapid Response Group.

During the first day of the two-day trustees meeting, protesters held signs calling for divestment from Israel and critiquing IU's response to the encampments in Dunn Meadow, but largely remained silent. IU staff had handed out flyers to public attendees informing them that no "noisemakers, demonstrations, or chanting" were allowed.

As Whitten gave the president's report, various protesters stood up, shouting, one by one, over her. Protesters yelled messages including, "IU is supporting genocide" and "IU has direct affiliations with an apartheid state." Others spoke about IU's response to the Dunn Meadow encampments, saying, "They brought Tasers, riot shields, assault rifles and had a sniper pointed down at us."

While Whitten continued to speak over the protesters, Chair Quinn Buckner routinely interrupted, asking them to stop and saying, "We do not condone this."

"We've got to make some changes in how we behave and how we deal with each other, because we don't disrespect each other this way," Buckner said. "Standing and interrupting another human being is not the way to solve any of the problems."

Protesters continued to stand and shout over Whitten's remarks approximately every 30 seconds, until Buckner moved to adjourn the session and relocate the trustees to a private room. Members of the public remained in Henke Hall and watched the remainder of the session, including the discussion of a new chancellor for IU Bloomington, through a televised livestream.

Mark Bode, a spokesperson for IU, said demonstrators violated IU's time, place and manner policies through the disruptive action.

"To ensure IU's campuses consistently welcome the freedom of expression, we have long applied conditions related to the time, place and manner of such displays to ensure the safety of the campus community and the continuity of our academic mission," Bode said. "Because today's demonstration clearly disrupted that mission, the meeting was reconvened in a different room and livestreamed to the attending public to allow the Board of Trustees to continue the business of the university."

'They will never empathize with us': Protesters say action was necessary

Outside of Henke Hall, Soha, a student protester who was escorted out and declined to provide a last name, said Buckner's comments about "disrespect" were offensive considering IU and ISP's response to peaceful protests in Dunn Meadow in April.

"I would love if they were more respectful," Soha said. "I would love if they didn't have snipers pointed at us, or if they didn't have 57 students and faculty arrested, but here we are."

Elena, another student protester who was escorted out and also declined to give a last name, said disruptive actions were necessary given Whitten and the trustees' perceived flippancy for student and faculty opinion.

"With Whitten, with the Board of Trustees, they will never empathize with us," Elena said. "Disrupting is the only way to get our point across, because disruption stops their actual function in the university. No amount of just discussing or talking it out is going to get that at this point."

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews.