The University of Maryland has issued a statement in response to a Justice for Palestine rally that was held on the school’s campus on Thursday, November 9th after a photo from the rally surfaced showing the term “Holocaust 2.0.” The full statement can be seen below:
“We are aware of the hateful, antisemitic sentiments expressed at the November 9, 2023 demonstration organized by Students for Justice in Palestine. We condemn it in no uncertain terms.
The offensive actions of a few should not reflect on the vast majority of protesters who were there to peacefully express their views, but there is no place for any antisemitic message, behavior or action at the University of Maryland.
The University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) has launched an immediate investigation and continues to conduct real-time threat assessments. Responsible parties will be held accountable.”
WTOP shared a statement in response from a representative of the Students for Justice in Palestine group that organized the rally: the chalk message “was clearly referring to the genocide taking place in Gaza right now and drawing a parallel to the Holocaust in WW2. The parallel is faulty and has been misinterpreted. Initially, SJP members had crossed it out after noticing it on the pavement.”