Indiana University changed its policy a day before a protest; then 33 people were arrested at Bloomington campus

The next day, 33 protesters at the encampment were arrested, shoved with riot shields and handcuffed with zip ties by Indiana State Police troopers who told them their use of camping tents and canopies on Dunn Meadow was unlawful.

Protesters say they were unaware of the policy change and many believe they were targeted by IU.

“The fact that they did it late at night, the night before they knew that this pro-Palestine event was scheduled to take place tells us that this was not about security,” said David McDonald, chair of the IU Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology and one of those arrested. “It was about stifling speech on this particular issue.”

More on the Dunn Meadow protest:State police detain pro-Palestine protesters, tear down encampment at Indiana University

The change was approved by an ad-hoc committee of four, consisting of the IU chief of police, the vice provost for student life, the associate vice president of events and conferences and the vice president for undergraduate education. No faculty or students were involved in the committee.