The University of Maryland faces a lawsuit over its decision to cancel a planned October 7 vigil. Palestine Legal and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have filed the suit on behalf of the university’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter.

The controversy stems from the university’s announcement that only university-sponsored events would be permitted on campus on October 7. This policy, communicated via email from university president Darryl Pines, effectively barred the SJP event from taking place.

According to the plaintiffs, the university initially granted permission for the vigil, which SJP intended to co-host with Jewish Voice for Peace at the University of Maryland. However, the decision was later reversed, allegedly due to pressure from groups opposing the event.

The press release from the plaintiffs states: “The University’s decision constitutes unlawful viewpoint and content-based discrimination, in violation of the First Amendment. This cancellation continues a trend where universities across the country have targeted, harassed, and punished pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide students on their campuses.”