The University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) has revoked its permission for a pro-Hamas rally that was scheduled to take place on October 7, the anniversary of the deadly Hamas attack across southern Israel last year, which claimed 1,200 lives. The rally, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), had initially been approved by the university in August, sparking significant backlash from the Jewish community on campus.

The event’s approval led to widespread protests, with groups such as Maryland Hillel urging the university to reconsider, arguing that the rally could be seen as a celebration of anti-Jewish violence. On Sunday, the university announced that it had canceled the event, citing a “safety assessment” as the reason for the decision, though it did not specifically address the intentions of SJP.

In a statement, UMCP President Darryll Pines explained that the decision followed an extensive review of potential risks associated with the event. “Given the overwhelming outreach, from multiple perspectives, I requested a routine targeted safety assessment for this day to understand the risks and safety measures associated with planned events,” Pines said. He noted that the university police had found no immediate threat but emphasized that the assessment was a “prudent and preventive measure.”

Pines further explained that, as a precaution, the university decided to limit activities on October 7 to those officially sponsored by the university, focused on reflection. “All other expressive events will be held prior to October 7, and then resume on October 8 in accordance with time, place, and manner considerations of the First Amendment,” he added.

The decision was welcomed by the university’s Jewish Student Union, which expressed relief but also concern that such a decision was necessary in the first place. “While we are reassured by this decision, we are distraught that it had to be made at all,” the group said in a statement, adding that Jewish life at the university remains strong and proud.

The UMCP chapter of SJP, known for its radical positions, has previously sparked controversy on campus. Following last year’s attack on October 7, SJP held a “vigil” for Palestinian terrorists and organized events intended to create divisions between Jewish students and other minority groups. The chapter has publicly rejected the two-state solution and called for the destruction of Israel, describing it as a “settler-colonial ethnostate.”

“UMD SJP unequivocally states that the Zionist state of Israel has no right to exist,” the group declared in a statement issued in July, adding that Israel’s policies are driven by “genocidal intent” to displace Palestinians.

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