ST. LOUIS — A Pro-Palestine protest is planned for Wednesday night at Saint Louis University following a similar protest over the weekend at Washington University that resulted in more than 100 arrests.
In a joint statement issued late Wednesday morning, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said they "unequivocally express our support for the First Amendment right to assemble and engage in nonviolent protest," adding that peaceful protesters would not be met with police force.
Occupy SLU Coalition, a student collective, said the Rally for Rafah would take place at 6 p.m. at the SLU clocktower on the university's campus in Midtown.
It comes four days after Washington University students and community members established a short-lived encampment on Saturday, calling on WashU divest from Boeing Co., among other demands. After warnings for demonstrators to leave the private campus, the Washington University Police Department arrested more than 100 people, including Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
In contrast with WashU, SLU does not have its own police force. City leaders and law enforcement said they've been coordinating plans with the university's administration for the past several days to ensure the safety of all parties. They said "peace will be met with peace."
"The University has a history of supporting peaceful protest and our expectation is that the protest tonight will match that precedent," the statement said. "We ask the entire community to recognize that the rejection of violence is central to ensuring a safe environment for all."
