VCU bans tents on campus in response to protests [Video]

Virginia Commonwealth University has banned tents on campus, tightened rules on wearing masks and prohibited large signs at board meetings.

The rule changes come in response to months of protesting on campus, often pro-Palestine. The tension reached a boiling point in April when police used riot gear and chemical agents to break up a pro-Palestine encampment outside the James Branch Cabell Library. Thirteen people were arrested.

In an effort to balance free speech and safety, VCU should remain a “vibrant place for intellectual exchange while upholding the principles of respect and civility on a safe campus,” wrote Todd Haymore, head of VCU’s board of visitors, in a letter to board members this week.

Sereen Haddad, a student who led pro-Palestine demonstrations at VCU last year, called the rule changes a “desperate attempt to suppress our voices and the movement as a whole.” She said students will continue demonstrating this fall.

Most of VCU’s rule changes …