Oct. 7 ‘vigil for Gaza’ at University of Maryland ‘inappropriate,’ governor says

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) says he will respect a court decision allowing a “vigil for Gaza” planned at the University of Maryland on Oct. 7, but he considers it “inappropriate” to hold the event on the anniversary of Hamas’s attack against Israel.

On Tuesday, a federal court ruled in favor of campus group Students for Justice in Palestine, which sued the university after it canceled the vigil for those killed in Gaza.  

“I think Oct. 7 is an inappropriate date for such an event,” Moore said in a statement.

“Terrorists target civilians, and that’s what Hamas did a year ago on Oct. 7. And that’s what that day should be remembered as — a heinous terrorist attack on Israel that took innocent lives,” he added.

The university had originally approved the vigil before canceling all student-led events scheduled for Oct. 7, saying it would be best “to host only university-sponsored events that promote reflection on this day.”

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to the student group to allow the event to continue, arguing the cancellation amounted to a violation of free speech. 

“It is clear to the Court that UMCP’s [University of Maryland, College Park’s] decision to revoke its permission to SJP to hold its event on October 7 was neither viewpoint-neutral, nor content-neutral, nor narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest. The decision clearly came in response to possible speech that several groups or individuals claimed would be highly objectionable,” Judge Peter Messitte said in his ruling.   

The school said it will be upping security Monday due to safety concerns, and the governor said he will work with the university to ensure the well-being of students.