UT Tyler’s SJP Protests University Investments During Week of Action

By Allison McDougald/Staff Writer

Photos By Jinjer Royce/Staff

Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Texas at Tyler held campus protests Oct. 6-9, calling attention to Palestinian suffering and the university system’s investments in defense contractors.

The chapter’s Week of Action included a silent protest at Harvey Deck, a general body meeting, a library takeover and a Friday protest. Its Instagram announcement featured the slogan “3 Years of Genocide, and 78 Years of Resistance,” linking the campaign to the ongoing conflict and the history of Palestinian resistance.

Jad Absy, president of UT Tyler’s SJP chapter, described the group’s motivation for organizing the week.

“We’re here to protest the ongoing genocide in Palestine and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people,” Absy said Oct. 8.

For members, that solidarity also involved challenging the financial ties they believed connected the university system to the conflict. Shane Reeves, an SJP member, pointed to the Permanent University Fund, which is managed by the University of Texas Investment Management Co.

“Millions and millions of dollars of UT system endowment money is invested in defense contractors and weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and L3 Harris,” Reeves said.

Reeves’ comments reflected the group’s opposition to investments in defense companies associated with Israel’s military campaign. The issue formed part of the broader message behind the week’s protests.

The chapter’s message also extended beyond its formal organization. Reeves said the movement would continue even if the organization itself faced restrictions.

“SJP is just a name, and it’s just an organization,” Reeves said. “The movement is what’s important.”

UT Dallas’s chapter of SJP was suspended for a year this March, after the university accused the group of inciting a walk out during a commencement speech. The student organization has denied direct involvement and filed a civil rights lawsuit in response.

During Thursday’s library takeover, members draped a Palestinian flag over a whiteboard. The gathering brought the chapter’s advocacy into a shared campus space during its Week of Action.