Dear Tulane Community:
Today was a deeply distressing day at Tulane University.
Three Tulane students were assaulted at a rally intentionally staged on the public sidewalk along Freret Street, over which we do not have control. This rally was not approved or sanctioned by Tulane. There were approximately 40 plainclothes and uniformed New Orleans, Tulane, Loyola and State Police officers, including mounted police, who made several arrests. There were also dozens of Tulane staff members on hand to support students. TUPD also apprehended a suspect last night for an act of antisemitic vandalism (graffiti) to a building near campus.
The investigation into today’s incident continues and additional arrests may be forthcoming as video evidence is reviewed. Campus is secure.
To be clear: We condemn and are outraged by today’s violence and the hateful language and rhetoric we heard. It is counter to everything we stand for at Tulane. What started out as a peaceful demonstration unfortunately devolved into a violent incident and a dark day for our community.
We are continuing to increase security on campus and assisting our students in any way we can. We are also actively preparing for any additional demonstrations and activity. We will be encouraging students to avoid participating in any further demonstrations off campus given the involvement of outside disruptors and the possibility of escalation.
At today’s rally, the actions of some of the protestors, many of whom were not affiliated with Tulane, were violent, deplorable, deliberately provocative and exploitative of the profound sorrow and anger so many of us have been experiencing over the last few weeks. They were also completely counter to Tulane’s values of practicing mutual respect when debating ideas and promoting viewpoints, especially with those with whom we disagree the most.
We want to underscore that this rally was not sanctioned by Tulane University and was not approved in any way by our university. It was staged on public property and attended by many who were not affiliated with our university. However, everyone who committed an illegal act on this day will be held accountable for their actions. In addition, all students are accountable to the Code of Student Conduct.
Tulane has always found strength in our unity. We must now lean on our common humanity and the Tulane spirit to find a path forward during these challenging times. Symbols and acts of hatred, antisemitism, deliberate provocation and preying upon the fears of others are not part of who we are. We cannot prevent protests from happening on public property even at our university’s doorstep. We can only protect and support one another as we face each new day together.
If you have information on an incident in which you or someone you know has been harassed or targeted in any way, fill out a concerns report or call our Student Affairs Professional On-Call at 504-920-9900. Someone from the Office of Case Management & Victim Services will contact you directly and connect you to the resources you need, whether academic, counseling or something more specific to your situation. Faculty and staff in need of assistance can call 1-800-624-5544.
There’s nothing more important than supporting our community at this moment in time.
