Students at the University of Chicago are calling for the reinstatement of two peers recently evicted by the administration, while also canceling a long-standing tradition in protest.
On Wednesday, January 15, at 1 p.m., Southside Together, UChicago United for Palestine, and the Fight Back UChicago campaign will hold a press conference at the Midway Plaisance, located near 1130 Midway Plaisance, to announce their solidarity with Mamayan Jabateh and a student identified as “Student A.” The two were evicted from campus after their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests.
Jabateh, a Black undergraduate, was arrested and detained by both the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) for 30 hours in connection to the October 11, 2024, protest. Jabateh, a member of the COUP organization that plans Kuvia, was one of the students targeted by the university’s response to the demonstration. In addition to Jabateh, at least seven other students have faced academic penalties, including withheld diplomas and expulsion, following their participation in similar protests across campus. These actions have sparked outrage, as many students and faculty view them as attempts to silence dissent and curtail free expression, especially in support of Palestine.
In response to the expulsions, the COUP board, led by Jabateh, has announced the cancellation of Kuvia, a 40-year-old tradition at UChicago. This year’s event was set to be planned by Jabateh, but due to her eviction, the board decided to cancel the event in solidarity with the expelled students.
The press conference will feature Jabateh, along with community members, faculty, and COUP peers. Christiana Powell, a Woodlawn resident who was evicted from her home in August, will also address the press. Speakers will discuss the university’s history of displacing Black students and residents, the growing movement against evictions, and the role of UChicago in the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
In place of Kuvia, Fight Back UChicago will host a series of healing and power-building programs focused on reversing the evictions and suspensions of Jabateh and Student A.
A rally will follow the next day, Thursday, January 16, at 4:15 p.m., at the UChicago Quad (1020 E 58th St.). The event will highlight the campaign’s demands for the university to reverse evictions, drop charges against student protestors, and end its financial ties to institutions complicit in the Gaza conflict.
The press release is from UChicago United for Palestine, a student coalition advocating for the university to divest from entities linked to the Gaza genocide, and Fight Back UChicago, a campaign focused on halting evictions and dropping charges against student protestors.
This version integrates the additional details regarding the number of students who have been expelled or had diplomas withheld due to their participation in the protests, providing a more comprehensive overview of the situation.