UPDATE: UNC shared a message with the campus community on Friday afternoon saying the Campus Y will reopen on Monday, May 6 and will operate with revised hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Below is the original story, published the morning of Friday, May 3.
A staple of the UNC campus community is indefinitely closed following Tuesday’s protests and police response, with the university citing safety concerns for the building.
The Campus Y — the site of many student organizations and a place historically known for its role in campus activism — announced on Wednesday it was closed by UNC administrators for the foreseeable future. In a statement shared by the university’s media relations on Friday, the school said the closure dated back to Tuesday, April 30, for “safety reasons.” UNC said it was meant to be closed alongside “nearby buildings and parking lots,” but was still accessed by people during that time.
“Campus Y building hours were not observed and the doors were repeatedly propped open when the building was closed, despite multiple requests to ensure the doors were closed and locked, which posed a serious safety concern,” said a statement from UNC Media Relations. “We recognize that the closure impacts student employees and University events, and we are working directly with the affected individuals and groups. There is no timetable to reopen the building at this time.”
Tuesday marked a tumultuous day on campus, as UNC Police and assisting law enforcement agencies broke up an encampment protest on the nearby Polk Place green and detained three dozen participants. A subsequent rally organized by UNC Students for Justice in Palestine — who had also organized the four-day encampment to advocate for UNC divesting any financial ties to Israel over the country’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza — led to another clash with police when demonstrators removed the American flag at the center of Polk Place. At that time, the university moved to a Condition 2 status on campus, suspending non-mandatory operations over “adverse conditions” for operations.
On Thursday, the executive board and committee representatives of the Campus Y shared a statement portending the building’s closure as “a target move” to punish student activism stemming from Tuesday’s campus demonstrations. The group said it believes the initial closure was done to restrict encampment participants from using the building’s facilities and shared concern about an indefinite closure being a political move more than one made for safety.
“This is an unprecedented but unsurprising move given the pattern of recent administrative decisions made regarding the Y (including funding cuts and increased restrictions on spending/space),” wrote the group. “Make no mistake, barring students and faculty from the Y does not reflect UNC administrators’ concern for student safety or well-being. We see the shutdown of the Y as a means of intimidation and collective punishment. It is entwined with ongoing conversations about the unjust treatment of university students and global activists mobilizing for Gaza.”
In the post, the executive board pointed to how the building was not locked by the university in 2021 after antisemitic vandalism was left inside, nor during the campus lockdowns during the fall semester — which included the fatal shooting of a UNC professor. The group maintained that in its 164-year history, the Campus Y has never been closed in this style by university leadership and it quickly started a petition demanding the building’s reopening, reimbursement of pay to affected student employees, disclosure and divestment of any ties to Israel, and more.
“The UNC administration’s attempt to silence our voice is a blatant attempt to kill our conscience,” the executive board and committee leaders said. “And this egregious, unconscionable tactic cannot go unchallenged.”
The Campus Y in its current form to support student leadership and social activism has operated on campus since the 1960s, but its history dates back even further to the 19th century. In addition to housing a variety of student-led social justice committees, the facility’s leadership also pointed to how its student-run coffee shop The Meantime will not be able to operate, the Campus Y’s food pantry will not be available, and gender-neutral and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms are not open.
UNC said while the Campus Y building is closed, student organizations through the Campus Y and housed there are still allowed to operate and hold activities on campus. The university encouraged those groups to contact UNC Student Affairs to get the latest details and resources.
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