In February, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction forbidding the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from enforcing a campus indefinite trespass ban for all UNC CH owned property against several protestors involved in the encampment in support of Palestinian lives. In addition to the violent, forcible clearing of the encampment last
April, more than 30 people were indefinitely banned from all UNC CH owned property in retaliation for their participation in the protest and the viewpoints they expressed.
Muslim Advocates and Emancipate NC, grantees of Piper Fund’s Protecting the Right to Protest program and members of the Piper Fund Protect Dissent Network, have a longstanding history of supporting the right to protest and dissent and uplifting voices of color. As legal challenges mounted for the encampment participants, the partners stepped in to provide legal support in the form of criminal representation, representation for student disciplinary hearings, and civil representation fighting the trespass bans. The collaboration was a natural extension of the organizations’ shared commitment to safeguard dissent and the rights of marginalized communities.
“The ban mattered because it actively silenced people who were trying to raise awareness about the genocide in Gaza and the lives affected,” said Reem Subei, a senior staff attorney with Muslim Advocates. “It wasn’t just about the individuals banned—it sent a message discouraging others from speaking out on critical human rights issues. By removing their platform, the ban tried to suppress awareness and stifle important voices speaking up for justice. “
The partners leaned into using group chats and listservs to help them stay connected with one another and with attorneys who they relied on to help train others in their areas of expertise such as student discipline.
Emancipate NC and Muslim Advocates also partnered with the ACLU of North Carolina. The three organizations filed a joint lawsuit on behalf of the protestors, arguing that their rights to free speech and due process had been violated.
“Protecting dissent is incredibly important during this time when our government is actively engaged in fascist tactics aimed at silencing marginalized communities,” said Emancipate NC Staff Attorney Jaelyn Miller. “We know that our freedoms are all interconnected, and this win shows that when we fight back using community and organizing, we win!”
The court victory – which is a result of coordinated organizing and legal advocacy work – is a powerful example of what is possible through cross-movement solidarity and strategizing. Muslim Advocates works to protect the civil and constitutional rights of Black, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities that are often targeted because of their identity and political expression, while Emancipate NC centers Black communities in confronting structural racism, over-policing, and the suppression of dissent in North Carolina. The encampment in support of Palestinian human rights brought these missions together because many of the students organizing were part of BAMEMSA communities, and the institutional response—arrests, bans, and efforts to silence protest—mirrored tactics long used against Black-led movements.
“The same systems that criminalize Muslim and Palestinian solidarity advocacy are rooted in broader frameworks of racialized policing and viewpoint suppression that disproportionately impact Black communities,” said Miller. “By working together, our organizations affirmed that these struggles are interconnected and that defending the rights of BAMEMSA students strengthens protections for all communities resisting injustice.”
Even with this legal win, the partners anticipate increased police presence on campuses and harsher consequences for speaking out. They are committed to staying vigilant, connected with students, and prepared to leverage what has now proven to be a successful model for pushing back together.
