ATLANTA — The Emory University president denounced antisemitism following a protest on the Atlanta campus Wednesday.
The president, Gregory L. Fenves, said in a statement posted to the university website that "antisemitic phrases and slogans were repeatedly used by speakers and chanted by the crowd."
A social media post on the Emory Stop Cop City Instagram page shows that a walkout and rally was planned for Wednesday at 2 p.m. The group is opposed to the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center and laid out their list of demands on Instagram.
It's unclear what comments the president was referencing in his letter to the Emory Community as he urged everyone to use words "respectfully and in a manner that values every person at Emory."
11Alive was not at the protest, but according to an Instagram video posted by a pro-Israel student organization at Emory, some people were chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
The chant, according to the American Jewish Committee, is a common rallying cry from pro-Palestinian groups and "calls for the establishment of a State of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea." The group deems the phrase as "antisemitic." The Anti-Defamation League also claims the rallying cry has been used by terrorists organizations, such as Hamas. The U.S. Department of State's website shows that Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group since 1997. It's been in the spotlight in recent weeks after an unprecedented attack in Israel.
Emory's president mentioned in his letter how the "continued loss of innocent life is deeply painful."
According to the student-run newspaper at the university, The Emory Wheel, roughly 40 participants of the rally entered the Convocation Hall building and tried to gain access to Fenves' office. A short while later, the Director of Presidential Initiatives and Special Projects entered the building and accepted the list of demands from the protesters.
Fenves made history in 2020 when he became the first Jewish president at Emory University.
"Emory has a long and distinguished history of supporting open expression. We welcome peaceful protests. We welcome a vast range of ideas and perspectives. But antisemitism targeting Jewish members of our community, even as part of a protest protected by our Open Expression policy, must be called out for what it is—divisive and reprehensible," Fenves' said in the statement.
To read the full statement by Fenves, click here.
