Pro-Palestinian protesters at Vanderbilt University called 911 on Wednesday over concerns for a protester’s tampon during a campus sit-in in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The BDS International website states that the movement “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.” It has gained traction since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants on Israel.
The Vanderbilt Generation Action account on Instagram shared a story this week showing protesters calling 911, with one student heard saying “there is currently a female student who is being denied the right to change her tampon that has been in for multiple hours, which leads to an increased risk of toxic shock syndrome.”
The protester goes on to say that the student has been threatened with arrest by campus police if she attempts to stand up and use the bathroom to change her tampon.
In another video posted to X, formerly Twitter, other protesters can be seen speaking to Vanderbilt University Police officers about their friend who needs to change their tampon.
“UPDATE: some of the students seem to be panicking. They called 9-1-1 because they’re worried one of them could go into toxic shock. They’re also worried she’ll be arrested if she leaves the building,” the post said.
Newsweek has not been able to independently verify the veracity of the videos in the posts.
The Vanderbilt Generation Action account has been contacted via Instagram for comment and further information.
On Wednesday, the Vanderbilt Hustler, the official student newspaper of the university, reported that many students were arrested following a sit-in at Kirkland Hall, in protest of Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza.
According to the Vanderbilt Hustler, the sit-in was sparked by students seeking the ability to vote on a Vanderbilt Student Government BDS Amendment.
Earlier this month, the student group, Vanderbilt Divest Coalition, sent a petition to the Vanderbilt Student Government calling on the school to stop receiving funds from companies identified by the international BDS Movement as “complicit” in Israel’s war in Gaza, the Vanderbilt Hustler reported.
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In a statement provided to Newsweek, Vanderbilt University said that on Tuesday morning, “a group of students breached the university’s main administration building that was closed for ongoing construction and clearly marked as such.
“Some students physically assaulted a community service officer to gain entrance and proceeded to push staff members who offered to meet with them,” the statement said.
“Student Affairs staff took a graduated approach to de-escalate the situation. First, they asked students to leave. After the students refused to leave, staff made them aware their actions violated university policy and that they would be subject to disciplinary action. After several hours, the university began issuing interim suspensions.”
The statement also noted that the university allows free expression, but says that, “The safety and wellbeing of our community is a top priority. The university will take action when our policies are violated, the safety of our campus is jeopardized and when people intimidate or injure members of our community.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Vanderbilt University Police Department via email for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.