ORLANDO, Fla. — Leaders at the University of Central Florida took action on Tuesday to make it clear overnight camping on campus is not allowed. 

The move comes after some protests over the war between Israel and Hamas at other college campuses turned violent. Demonstrations were held at UCF in April and May, but remained peaceful.

What You Need To Know

  • Leaders at the University of Central Florida took action on Tuesday to make it clear overnight camping on campus is not allowed

  • The move comes after some protests over the war between Israel and Hamas at other college campuses turned violent

  • The UCF Board of Trustees added specific language to their regulations on university facilities, events and protests, to ban any camping on campus

  • The university’s rules already banned overnight events and the use of tents on campus

The UCF Board of Trustees added specific language to their regulations on university facilities, events and protests, to ban any camping on campus. University leaders said they’ve been working on the change for a year. 

The university’s rules already banned overnight events and the use of tents on campus.

“That is not changing,” said UCF general counsel Youndy Cook. “What we are changing, however, is we're making explicit the camping prohibition with its own paragraph.”

“We have not seen those kind of disruptions at UCF, so critics might suggest that this is perhaps going a little too far in restricting the right of protests and that sort of things,” said UCF associate professor Aubrey Jewett. “But I think from the board’s perspective, just because it hasn’t happened at UCF, they want to set up the type of rules to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

The Board of Trustees included language in the rule addition to make it clear that setting up for tailgating is allowed, as long as it is happening during a designated time for sports events on campus.