After months of planning security and finalizing details, the Palestine Solidarity Movement conference begins today,. More than 400 participants and as many as 300 protesters are expected to arrive throughout the weekend.
After months of planning security and finalizing details, the Palestine Solidarity Movement conference begins today, and more than 400 participants are expected to descend upon campus this afternoon. As many as 300 protesters, some of whom are from militant groups, are expected to arrive throughout the weekend.
University officials expect the weekend to proceed without incident, but they are prepared for floods of people as well as any potential violence that may occur.
About 100 security officers will patrol campus under the direction of the Duke University Police Department. An additional 50 to 60 faculty members and administrators will serve as a first line of defense for conflicts that do not require police intervention.
National security officials have also been contacted. “We’ve certainly done our due diligence so far as to who’s coming to campus and what their message might be,” DUPD Chief Clarence Birkhead said.
Multiple campus groups have developed a slate of pro-Israeli events to counter the pro-Palestinian position of the PSM. Programming related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began Thursday night with a student-run concert and a speech by pro-Israeli activist Daniel Pipes and will include about a dozen panels, teach-ins, speeches and rallies throughout the weekend. About half of the total programming is part of PSM’s conference, which organizers said was produced for less than $10,000. The Joint Israel Initiative, a coalition of campus Jewish and pro-Israeli groups, is coordinating most of the pro-Israeli events, which will cost about $25,000.
Avram Burg, former speaker of the Israeli Parliament, is headlining the pro-Israeli programming, and a variety of international pro-Palestinian activists will lead the panels at the PSM conference. All events are open to the Duke community but require prior registration through the PSM website (www.palestineconference.com) or the Freeman Center for Jewish Life website (www.fcjl.studentaffairs.duke.edu).
The University allowed the student group Hiwar to host the PSM conference in August, and officials have spent a considerable amount of time explaining the decision to alumni, parents, community members and other people who object to the PSM’s message. As of Thursday night more than 92,000 people had signed an online petition urging Duke to reject the conference.
President Richard Brodhead spent the first few months of school meeting with groups to explain Duke’s commitment to free speech. Most recently, he penned letters championing academic freedom to alumni and parents.
“Our decision to allow the conference to be held was in no way an endorsement of the sponsors’ views,” he wrote. “Whenever universities get in the business of suppressing speech, however vile, it lends credence to the notion that it is a legitimate function of the university to suppress speech.”
PSM has come under fire from pro-Israeli groups because it refuses to condemn terrorism. Rann Bar-on, local PSM spokesperson and a graduate student in mathematics, said the group only supports non-violent activities, but since its goal is to be unified with the Palestinian people, it does not comment on any actions of resistance.
The University is paying for security for all events, and the cost is expected to total about $60,000.
Students living on West Campus will only have access to their own quadrangles, and several parking lots, including the Allen Building lot and part of the Blue Zone, will be restricted to conference participants.
Buildings where events occur will be secured and metal detectors will be present at all JII and PSM events. PSM events will take place in the Social Sciences Building, the Intramural Sports Building and the Von Canon rooms in the Bryan Center. Most pro-Israeli events will be at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life. The campus will remain open, but University affiliates should carry their DukeCards in case it becomes necessary to restrict access.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.