The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s police department is pursuing a search warrant for the Instagram account of UNC Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) as part of its investigation into campus vandalism that occurred in May. The warrant requests access to account data, including owner information, direct messages, and location data from Meta, Instagram’s parent company.
This approach by UNC officials indicates a firm stance against letting protesters off without consequences, despite some experts noting that obtaining social media data can be a lengthy process for investigators.
?BREAKING: Pro-Hamas mobs just attacked police at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Arrest and deport these cowards to Palestine!!!
The American Flag is back up again!????? pic.twitter.com/huGyiVxlh7
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) April 30, 2024
UNC police investigator Daniel Brown submitted to the court an affidavit saying, that “the individual or individuals running the UNCSJP Instagram account planned and or participated in the damage that was caused on May 11, 2024. They have used their account to post a flyer of the event as well as tactics to obscure law enforcement efforts to identify those that would cause property damage and posted a picture of the damage that was caused from their event.”
This action follows a series of pro-Hamas protests in the spring that resulted in incidents of vandalism, trespassing, and property destruction. While some universities have dropped charges against protesters, UNC is among a minority of institutions proceeding with criminal charges.
Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts emphasized that disruptive behavior and property damage would not be tolerated, stating that the university would review information from recent events to address policy violations and legal infractions.
The police affidavit, filed by investigator Daniel Brown, connects the May 11 vandalism of UNC’s South Building to an SJP-advertised event called the People’s Graduation. The Instagram post for this event encouraged attendees to conceal their identities and later shared photos of the defaced building.
UNC’s SJP, which maintains an active Instagram presence, has denied involvement in the vandalism. In a statement, the group criticized the warrant as an attempt to suppress their activism. “While UNC SJP had no role in facilitating these autonomous actions, we nevertheless reiterate our support for direct actions aimed at undermining support for occupation, apartheid, and genocide. We agree with the autonomous activists: UNC has blood on its hands,” the post read.
