The Wisconsin University Union (WUU) stands in solidarity with the students, staff, and faculty currently under investigation by UW-Madison for their involvement in the encampment protests in Spring of 2024, many of whom are members of allied organizations UFAS and TAA. We believe that the right to free expression and peaceful protest is a fundamental aspect of our university community, and that right must be protected.
UW-Madison has a long and proud history of activism, with student-led movements playing a crucial role in advancing social justice and shaping public discourse. From the anti-war protests of the 1960s to the more recent movements for climate action and racial equity, our campus has been a beacon of free expression and a space to advance knowledge through essential, and often challenging, discourse. To pay lip service to this legacy while wielding policy as a restraint, particularly after the violence that involved law enforcement brought to Library Mall at the behest of UW-Madison leadership, is both hypocritical and antithetical to the ideals of our institution. The Administration of UW-Madison has discretion in how it handles these matters, and we call upon them to use this power wisely. We urge the administration to prioritize the protection of free expression and to support the rights of our community members to engage in peaceful protest without fear of retribution. Further, we urge UW-Madison administration to follow through on the terms of the agreements made with protest organizers in good faith. This is both a matter of upholding the principles of academic freedom and also a matter of honoring the legacy of activism that has defined our university for generations.
The Wisconsin University Union remains committed to defending the rights of all UW-Madison employees and students to peacefully express their views and advocate for causes they believe in. We stand in solidarity with those who are facing repercussions for their involvement in these protests and will continue to advocate for a campus environment where free expression is valued and protected.