In late August, the University of Virginia quietly revised its protest policies, a move framed as a response to safety concerns but widely interpreted as a calculated step to limit student-led protest movements. The policies arrived in the aftermath of a spring demonstration where about 20 students, faculty members, and community members protested UVA’s investment ties to controversial industries. That protest drew an unexpected reaction: the state government and university administration called the Virginia State Police to intervene, resulting in legal charges and months of uncertainty as students awaited potential University Judiciary Committee trials. Although Student Affairs ultimately confirmed in September that no cases would proceed, the chilling effect of the policies persists. As UVA navigates the fine line between managing public safety and respecting student expression, a critical question emerges: will these new rules suppress student activism, or ignite it further?
On October 26th, the answer seemed clear. Over 50 community members—students, faculty, and Charlottesville locals—marched across campus, demanding that UVA’s Investment Management Company divest from Israel. The group called attention to the university’s statement defending its refusal to divest, which described divestment as an inappropriate means of expressing political views. 
Organized by a coalition of groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace (“JVP”), the march culminated at Madison Hall, home to President Jim Ryan’s office. With chants like “Disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest,” and “Jim Ryan, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide,” the protesters ensured their message could not be ignored.
Eli Weinger, a third-year student at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and media liaison for the event, explained the energy of the demonstration. In an interview with The Jefferson Independent, Weinger underscored the gravity of the situation, explaining, “Our goal is to make it impossible for this administration to ignore its duplicity and genocide.” For Weinger, the university’s refusal to divest is emblematic of a broader institutional hypocrisy—one where its public rhetoric about being an institution pursuing “both good and great” is starkly contradicted by actions that support global injustices.
Weinger pointed to history as a source of both frustration and hope. Drawing parallels to the university’s 1987 refusal to divest from South Africa during the apartheid era, he noted that the Board of Visitors at the time promised no divestment “unless there’s a change in material conditions.” Yet, just three years later, sustained student activism forced a reversal. “What changed?” Weinger asked. “It wasn’t that South African apartheid got worse; it was just as awful as it had always been. Instead, it was through the activism of students that the university was moved.”
The parallels between past and present are unmistakable. Like their predecessors, today’s activists aim to spotlight the university’s complicity and apply relentless pressure. For Weinger, the key to success lies in mobilization and persistence. “We’re calling on all students to be a part of that change, to come out, show up, speak out, and to end the genocide. What will you tell your children you did when they ask you about this genocide? Will you tell them you stood up? Or will you tell them you were silent? We want as many people as we can to stand up.”
This resolve is not without cost. Weinger acknowledged the risks many organizers face, particularly Palestinian students. “There are conversations I don’t want to have with friends and family, or that are difficult to have, I should say. There are prices that I have to pay, but that is nothing compared to the prices that my Palestinian friends have to pay for being exposed.” He added, “If some of my Palestinian colleagues came out and spoke to you, giving their name, there’s a possibility they would never be able to see their family again. They would never be able to return.”
The university’s recent protest policy changes—announced abruptly and implemented without public dialogue—represent another barrier for activists. Weinger described these policies as part of a larger strategy to suppress dissent, explaining, “those policy changes represent a post hoc justification of what the university wants to see. Which is to say, if we found some way around a policy, they simply come up with a new policy to find a way to repress us.” For students like Eli Weinger, the issue was never the policies themselves; it is the repression they justify.
Weinger also highlighted the stark contrast in how the university enforces its policies. “You see kids scootering without helmets on sidewalks all the time,” continues Mr. Weinger “and so there’s no Virginia State troopers being called in when they see someone on their electric scooter with no helmet. There’s no Virginia State troopers called in when a resident does something in their dorm that they’re not supposed to. There are all sorts of violations for university policy that occur every day. The difference here is that we’re calling out the university for their complicity. And that’s why they have a problem.”
As the protesters gathered outside Madison Hall, a student speaker delivered a poignant address, emphasizing that the stakes were not just theoretical. The policies and investments being protested directly impact Palestinian students at UVA, whose families are at risk overseas. The speaker called for solidarity and action, reminding the crowd that the university’s complicity extends beyond campus borders.
For activists like Weinger, the fight is far from over. The legacy of past student movements serves as both a reminder of what is possible and a call to action. “The fact that it’s been done before shows that it can be done again,” he said. As the demonstration concluded, the crowd dispersed, their chants still echoing through the Lawn. Whether UVA’s leadership will engage with the voices of its students remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: student activism at UVA remains as active as ever.
For the full interview transcription, click here or go to this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10CIcsrXLi_YksDsCA7zp9UTk9kL-erFybCqgntPtBvU/edit
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