{"id":214338,"date":"2026-04-01T10:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214338\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:20:09","slug":"usf-students-weigh-in-on-university-protocols-for-on-campus-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214338\/","title":{"rendered":"USF students weigh in on university protocols for on-campus protests"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Protesters often set up near Cooper Hall in USF\u2019s Sessums Mall area, which is an open, public space for demonstrations within policy guidelines. ORACLE PHOTO\/ELLIE FROST<\/p>\n

At USF, the sidewalks, plazas and pathways serve as more than just ways to get to class \u2014 they\u2019re an outlet of free expression for students and the broader community.<\/p>\n

USF\u2019s Activities, Signage, and Use of Public Space policy<\/a> was established in 2017 and addresses the university\u2019s goal of balancing freedom of speech and campus safety.<\/p>\n

The policy tasks USF with protecting students\u2019 First Amendment rights while ensuring their ability to access education and university resources remains undisturbed.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the policy<\/a> states that \u201cpublic spaces\u201d \u2014 defined as areas not generally<\/a> used for academic or athletic purposes \u2014 are open to the public for free expression without approval, provided the expression is non-commercial and unamplified.<\/p>\n

However, while these areas are open, activities must comply with campus policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Activities involving the use of tents, stages, fences, amplified sound or the setup of fixed displays and tables are categorized as reserved activities<\/a> and require formal administrative approval<\/a>.<\/p>\n

University student organizations and departments also take priority<\/a> over visitors for posting signs related to their activities or demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Some USF students said they appreciate that the campus can be an outlet for free expression, but hope protesters remain respectful of the university community and space.<\/p>\n

Related: USF faces lawsuit from student group over protest sanctions<\/a><\/p>\n

USF\u2019s conduct guidelines<\/a> mandate that on-campus activities and protests \u2014 student or otherwise \u2014 do not block sidewalks or building entrances.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, under Florida Statute 876.12<\/a>, protesters are prohibited from wearing masks if the intent is to disrupt or conceal their identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Regarding speech, the university\u2019s Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement<\/a> states that all people have the right to exercise their freedom of speech.<\/p>\n

However, there are limits on speech that are against the law, such as defamation or threats, according to the Student Equal Opportunity Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

USF also has an \u201cexpectation\u201d that speech should maintain and respect the safety and property of the community, and distribute information that is relevant to the cause, according to the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Students who violate USF\u2019s policy are referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development, while protesters external to the university are subject to other restrictions, including no-trespass warnings or total restrictions, according to the policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These restrictions and guidelines are meant to guide protesters rather than forbid them, and some USF students said they frequently encounter students and non-students protesting or presenting for their causes.<\/p>\n

Andrea Gonzalez, a freshman biological health sciences major, said she mainly encounters anti-abortion protesters near Cooper Hall while on her way to class.<\/p>\n

USF\u2019s Sessums Mall area is not designated as an academic<\/a> or athletic <\/a>space, meaning it can be used for free public expression as long as protesters do not violate policy guidelines.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience passing by them has been fine, as I simply do not engage with them even if I disagree with them,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cHowever, they are extremely pushy and will bombard me with questions if I walk too close to them, even if I do not make eye contact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonzalez said her prior experiences with on-campus protesters have not changed her generally positive perspective of USF\u2019s activism policies.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think USF\u2019s policies are fine with balancing free speech and my ability to study,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cI only ever feel mildly annoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, she said she wishes people were more polite while protesting on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I was in charge of campus policy, I would advocate more for respectful interactions,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cI hope to see respect and passion from people visiting our campus to protest, as well as to not disrupt anyone\u2019s path when walking by.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: USF students protest university ties to immigration enforcement<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jon Dacalos, a freshman business advertising major, said he has been stopped by the same anti-abortion protesters several times near the Judy Genshaft Honors College.<\/p>\n

Dacalos said he felt \u201ctargeted\u201d by the protesters while walking to class with a group of friends in mid-March.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was walking ahead of a group of girls that I know, and I got stopped by a group of abortion protesters, while the three girls behind me did not get stopped at all,\u201d Dacalos said.<\/p>\n

He added that he thinks the anti-abortion protesters he has encountered often prioritize \u201cshock value\u201d rather than information when they are on campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were asking me about my opinion on abortion, asking me to stop and hear them out,\u201d Dacalos said. \u201cI\u2019ve been stopped multiple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dacalos said that if he could change one thing about USF\u2019s campus policy on activism, he would limit the number of people protesting in a single area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere shouldn\u2019t have been [multiple] groups [protesting] in the same area,\u201d Dacalos said. \u201cIt\u2019s really distracting and frankly, annoying.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite this, Dacalos said he feels it is important for people to maintain a \u201cmultifaceted view\u201d of political issues to broaden their political perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere definitely should be protests about political issues,\u201d Dacalos said. \u201cIt\u2019s really important to see things that challenge your own beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Protesters often set up near Cooper Hall in USF\u2019s Sessums Mall area, which is an open, public space…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":214339,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-214338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/214339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}