UCF students demand: Drop the charges against Chris Gibson, hands off the student movement!
Orlando, FL – On Monday, Nov 4, despite the rain, ten students gathered in front of the Ferrell Commons building on the University of Central Florida campus to demand UCF’s Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity (SCAI) drop their conduct charges against Chris Gibson, a UCF student, a member of Students for a Democratic Society and the Divestment Coalition.
The rally began around 3 p.m. to coincide with SCAI’s preliminary conference with the student charged. The rally was opened with an introduction explaining the charges alleged against Chris Gibson. Gibson is currently facing a felony and misdemeanor charge for protesting against the Israeli genocide in Palestine this October at Orlando City Hall. Orange County is alleging one count of resisting arrest without violence and one count of battery on an officer.
UCF’s Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity then proceeded to allege student conduct charges against Chris Gibson even though his original charges are still not filed, the event was off UCF campus, and no UCF staff or faculty were involved with the event. Chris Gibson has two conduct charges: “3(g) Disruptive Conduct” and “4(a) Harmful Behavior.”
Nova Patterson, a lead organizer with the UCF Divestment Coalition, was the first to speak, “We are here to show that we know what is going on and we are not going to let it slide. We are not going to allow UCF to just slap conduct charges against students just for protesting against genocide. Shame on UCF!”
The preliminary conference itself consisted of the charged student meeting with their case worker to discuss what the university is alleging against the student. Gibson reported that, due to the severe nature of the allegations, SCAI has decided to skip the informal hearing and move forward with a formal hearing scheduled for Tuesday, November 26 at 1 p.m. Because of SCAI’s decision to skip the informal hearing, as of now Chris Gibson is set to face a panel of faculty and students (chosen by SCAI) without knowing what the potential sanctions are.
Patterson went on to discuss recent anti-protesting amendments that were passed unanimously by UCF’s board of trustees, such as banning the use of face masks at rallies, requiring registration if there is a possibility that an event will have 50 or more participants, and banning the posting of flyers to light posts and university property, to name a few. “No matter what, this is a public campus. We are going to continue showing up!”
These conduct charges come at a time when the UCF police department has surveilled pro-Palestine students painting banners in a public area on campus, interrogated students studying in the library over the banner making and trespassing a Palestinian graduate student for attending anti-genocide rallies.
Theodore Crouch spoke on behalf of UCF Young Democratic Socialists of America. “The university cannot continue to be hostile to anti-apartheid protesters. We are the students, we fund this university, and we make it what it is. Putting us in jail is not the solution. All the charges against Chris Gibson must be dropped.”
Despite the rain, UCF Students for a Democratic Society, Divestment Coalition, and Young Democratic Socialists of America led a successful rally to build pressure against administration and show the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity that Chris Gibson has the support of students.
The student protesters led several chants outside of Ferrell Commons and as they marched back to Reflection Pond. Some chants included: “Hands off the student movement,” “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Drop the charges!”
The rally was closed out by Vanessa Christaldi, a lead organizer with UCF Students for a Democratic Society. “We are here to let administration know that they cannot silence the voices of students, that we are aware of the tactics they use, and that we as student protesters will not sit silently as they try to isolate and intimidate us.”