Emory University students pass ‘no confidence’ vote against president following anti-Israel protest arrests
The undergraduate student body at Emory University in Atlanta has passed a no confidence vote against the school’s president following anti-Israel protests there that have resulted in more than two dozen arrests.
A University spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the referendum, which was facilitated by the Emory Student Government Association, involved the participation of 3,401 of its 8,102 undergraduate students.
"Of those who voted, 2,499 voted in favor of the motion (73%), 844 voted against it (25%), and 58 abstained (2%)," the spokesperson said, adding that just "31% of the total undergraduate student body voted in favor of the motion.
"While we take any concerns expressed by members of our community seriously, Emory community members are sharing a wide range of perspectives that are not reflected in the motion passed by SGA," the spokesperson added.
LIVE UPDATES: ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS AT US COLLEGE CAMPUSES
The referendum’s passage comes after the Faculty Senate for Emory College of Arts and Sciences voted 358-119 in passing a "Motion of No Confidence and Demand for Redress" against Emory University President Gregory Fenves, according to Fox5 Atlanta.
That motion described the arrests of 28 people during an anti-Israel protest on April 25 as "unprecedented" and condemned Emory officials for calling on police, which they allege resulted in "violence" and "use of force," The Emory Wheel student newspaper reports.
"My goal was to remove a growing encampment, as allowing such an encampment would have been highly disruptive, affecting everything from classes and exams to our ability to hold Commencement," Fenves said in a statement following the arrests. "I remain firm that such encampments cannot be permitted at Emory."
In late April, police at Emory University arrested a "convicted felon who crossed state lines to come to campus" to participate in anti-Israel demonstrations.
Derek Zika, of Statesville, North Carolina, a city outside of Charlotte, was carrying knives and pepper spray when he was taken into custody at the Emory Quad on Sunday, April 28, the University’s police department said.