Jessica F. Simmons

Last Friday, UNC Students for Justice in Palestine, a pro-Palestinian group, said police obtained a search warrant for their Instagram account as part of an investigation into property damage during a campus protest in May.

The warrant issued on May 15 compels Meta, the parent company of Instagram, to provide a range of subscriber information from the SJP’s account including names, addresses, direct messages, phone numbers and IP addresses from May 2 to May 13.

Kevin Best, UNC senior director of media relations, said the warrant alleges that the social media account was used to “planned and/or participated in the damage that was caused” to the 230-year-old South Building on center campus.

According to UNC media relations, the damage reportedly involved the use of oil-based paints, markers and graffiti. This resulted in 11 hours and approximately $7,000 for cleaning efforts on May 11 and May 13, as well as a $20,000 contracted consultation for removing absorbed paint out of the sandstone material. The university said it plans to “provide a final cost estimate after the consultant inspects the damage.”*

“This type of search warrant is part of the process afforded by the courts for criminal investigations,” Best said. “The university supports peaceful demonstrations, but the right to free speech does not include causing considerable damage to a historic building.”

Zach Greenberg, First Amendment attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said the amount of information requested from the warrant is considered “rare.” He said usually if a student group violates university policy, the situation is handled between university and group leaders.

“The search warrant here is a pretty drastic step compelling the student group to turn over the information from the student group’s account,” Greenberg said. “And yeah, we think this is pretty pressing when it comes to trying to find out who did property damage.”

According to the warrant, the damages occurred when several individuals were seen throwing balloons filled with red paint at the steps and sidewalk of the building on May 11. The balloons broke and spread paint on the building and protestors began writing messages on the building’s columns, walls and windows.

These actions happened hours after “The People’s Graduation,” a SJP event held at the Peace and Justice Plaza to protest UNC’s handling of pro-Palestinian activism on campus during commencement.

In a SJP press release, the group stated the ceremony was intended to honor students suspended for their pro-Palestinian activism and highlight grievances over the university’s actions toward pro-Palestinian activists.

The organization’s statement also criticized the investigation as “the latest in a series of shameful attempts by the UNC administration to silence, harass and repress Students for Justice in Palestine and anyone active in the movement for Palestinian liberation.”

Jacob Ginn, a spokesperson and member of SJP, claimed that while SJP did not play a role in the alleged actions outlined in the warrant, it does agree with the message of those individuals.

”UNC does have blood on its hands, and UNC is complicit in occupation of partitioning genocide,” Ginn said. “And if people want to express their disgust and indignation with UNC’s complicity in genocide in this particularly colorful way, then I think that that’s a very understandable and justified thing to do.”

He also said the warrant is a violation of SJP’s privacy and the group has taken legal action of its own, such as lawyer consultation and a Title VI complaint, against the university’s actions.

*This story was updated July 18 at 4:20 P.M. EST to include the university’s updated statement for the cost of damages.