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UNC police to search Instagram account to find out who damaged the building during protest

Theo

CHAPEL HILL, NC – UNC police issued a search warrant for the Instagram account of UNC Students for Justice for Palestine (UNC SJP), a campus activist group, to investigate the vandalism of the campus’s South Building during an anti-Israel demonstration.

UNC Chapel Hill police officer Daniel “DL” Brown obtained the arrest warrant on May 15, days after a group of protesters held a “people’s graduation” for students who had been denied graduation because of their pro-Palestinian activism.

UNC Students for Justice for Palestine (UNC SJP) posted on its Instagram page about the damage to the building.

Specifically, in his search warrant, Brown is requesting the Instagram account’s “basic subscriber information (BSI), including but not limited to: name, address, phone number, credit card information, account creation information, IP address, direct messages, location data, device data, and connection between May 2 and May 13.”

The arrest warrant states that investigators are convinced that the people behind the Instagram account “planned or participated in” the property damage on May 11.

Hashem Amireh, a graduate student who is part of the UNC SJP, said he supports the demand that UNC stop investments that benefit Israel. However, Amireh said the group was not involved in the damage and they believe the warrant goes too far.

“The incident alleged in the arrest warrant had nothing to do with this – UNC SJP had no role in this incident, although we support the statement that UNC had blood on its hands,” Amireh said. “I think the goal of this is to suppress free speech on campus and the voices willing to denounce UNC.”

On Friday, WRAL News attempted to contact university officials. In a statement, UNC Chapel Hill’s media relations office told WRAL that the arrest warrant was part of UNC Police’s criminal investigation.

“The university supports peaceful demonstrations, but the right to free speech does not include causing significant damage to a historic building,” wrote Executive Director Kevin Best.

“This is part of a pattern of trying to suppress pro-Palestinian voices on campus,” Amireh said.

Amireh said he had concerns about surveillance.

“With these types of warrants, UNC is able to obtain information and monitor students using a very loose connection that, frankly, makes no sense,” he said.

Amireh said it was “a shock” when he first heard about the search warrant, but it was not surprising.

“The UNC is trying to silence us by any means possible, but in the end we feel stronger than ever,” Amireh said.

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