In early December, some 90 members of the university faculty, staff, and leaders from community and student organizations, and at least one state representative have sent an open letter to defend two sisters who are students at George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax County, Virginia. One sister is the current co-president of the GMU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and the other sister is the former president of the organization.
According to The Intercept on Nov. 7 the FBI led a team, including Fairfax County Police and campus security, in a pre-dawn raid, in which they broke down the door of the sisters’ family home in order to investigate charges of spray paint graffiti on a sidewalk at the GMU campus. On the following day, Nov. 8, the sisters were banned for four years from the campus with a criminal trespass notice, and their SJP chapter was temporarily suspended. No evidence has been presented against the sisters, and even less due process.
