Several law enforcement agencies are preparing for possible political unrest during demonstrations at the University of Maryland, College Park, on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel.
Maryland State Police will support efforts to maintain campus order during protests organized by the University of Maryland chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
“Maryland Department of State Police was formally requested by the University of Maryland Police Department,” an MSP spokesperson said.
The event is scheduled for the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ terrorist attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people. The Associated Press reported at the time that another 250 civilians were taken hostage.
UMD Students for Justice organizers have described the demonstrations as a vigil, according to social media posts.
“On Oct. 7, UMD Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace at UMD are hosting a vigil to mourn the lives lost as a result of the settler-colonial Zionist entity’s 76-year campaign of rapacious occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide,” student invites said.
The nearby Metropolitan Police Department did not directly answer questions about deploying Washington, D.C., officers to Maryland’s largest college campus. The same was true for University of Maryland police.
“For security purposes, we do not go into specifics on police planning and security operations,” a UMD police spokesperson said.
The demonstration gained national attention due to its scheduled date on the anniversary of the Israel terrorist attack. It sparked swift action by UMD President Darryll Pines in early September, when he canceled all non-university-sponsored events “out of an abundance of caution.”
Lawyers with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) promptly filed for an emergency injunction in federal court to permit the demonstration, citing their belief that UMD was violating Students for Justice’s First Amendment rights.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte sided with CAIR’s arguments, ordering UMD to permit demonstrations on Oct. 7. Public records show that Judge Messitte has served on the federal court since being appointed in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton.
A Hamas official praised students who planned to demonstrate on the anniversary of the terrorist attack.
“I support any activity in support of our genuine rights of freedom, dignity and independence,” Basem Naim said in a text message. “Keep protesting until the genocide in Gaza [is] stopped and the blockade is lifted.”
“This battle is not only about Palestinians, but it’s about our humanity,” Naim added.
Naim is a member of Hamas’ political bureau and is the head of the terrorist organization’s political and international relations. The Hamas spokesperson has repeatedly made inaccurate claims that Israeli civilians were not killed by the terrorist group on Oct. 7. He has also been widely identified as a major source of misinformation regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
Meanwhile, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore denounced the planned protest at UMD soon after Judge Messitte’s ruling.
“I think Oct. 7 is an inappropriate date for such an event,” Moore said on X. “What I do know is that students at the University of Maryland have the right to feel safe, and we will work with local and university leaders to ensure their safety.”
The federal court ruling permitting the UMD protest acknowledged the risks of allowing Monday’s demonstration.
“Experience with similar protests over Gaza in universities and colleges around the country suggests that certain conduct not protected by the First Amendment, e.g., incitement to violence, physical threats and harassment to individuals, disruption of classes, occupation of buildings, encampments, and property destruction, may well accompany the protests,” the federal court ruling said.
“It simply cannot be said with assurance that personal threats, violence, and property damage as a result of campus protests involving Gaza, given recent experience around the country, will not occur,” the ruling added.
The University of Maryland acknowledged multiple requests for comment Friday but did not provide an immediate response about possible operational changes to accommodate demonstrations.