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What do protesters at Miami University want? What has the university said? What to know

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What do protesters at Miami University want? What has the university said? What to know


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Over the past week, universities across the nation have been at the center of pro-Palestine protests in which students have organized marches and encampments to demonstrate solidarity for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza.

In Ohio, protests have been reported at Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University and most recently, Miami University in Oxford. The protest began Thursday evening with a march and concluded with an encampment at the University Seal, located right in the heart of campus outside of Roudebush Hall.

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Here’s everything we know about the protest as of Friday evening:

Are protests allowed at Miami University?

Students are allowed to protest and march in outdoor areas of the campus. However, protests cannot disrupt teaching, research or previously scheduled events.

Are non-students protesting?

Miami University Students for Justice in Palestine, a student group that describes itself on social media as connected to the university, organized the pro-Palestine march and encampment. They were also joined by the university’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, according to a statement from the university.

According to university rules, non-students can only demonstrate on campus perimeter sidewalks designated by Miami, and have to comply with the same rule as staff and students.

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What are the protesters demanding?

According to a statement from the Students For Justice in Palestine, the protest is to demand that Miami University disclose and divest its funds from companies involved in the “perpetuation of this genocide.”

More specifically, they want the university to stop investing in companies that do business with Israel.

“Miami students are joining together in solidarity to demand our university to disclose and divest its funds from the extremist Israeli genocide of Palestinians,” the statement reads.

The student group met with Miami University President Gregory Crawford on Wednesday, a day before Thursday’s protest, to present their demands of disclosure and divestment. However, their efforts were mostly unsuccessful, according to the statement from Student for Justice in Palestine.

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What has the university said?

Shortly after the protesters had set up the encampment Thursday, Miami University issued a statement:

“The safety of our students is Miami University’s top priority, and that priority will guide university actions in this unfolding situation. Students for Justice for Palestine, a student organization, held a march this evening (May 2), and were joined by the Young Democratic Socialists of America. As with any demonstration, university staff have been present to maintain student safety and ensure that university policy is followed. Unfortunately, participants have chosen not to follow university policy. Those present have been informed that they are currently violating policy and must come into compliance.”

A number of protesters stayed at the encampment overnight and some are still there as of Friday afternoon.

The university issued a second statement Friday, saying the student organizations that set up the unauthorized encampment have since come into compliance with the university’s policy.

“Encampments create the need to provide continuous safety and security resources, which can divert these important resources away from the rest of our community,” the statement reads. “They can interfere with students’ ability to attend classes and prepare for finals and can strain the resources and facilities of the buildings located nearby. We continue to prioritize providing support and care for all of our students. Throughout this year, members of our student life staff have been in regular contact with students and student organizations discussing their concerns and supporting their well-being. We will continue to do so.”

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What can’t protesters do?

Protesters are not allowed to use amplified sound, create temporary structures or leave behind literature. Miami also imposes safety measures, such as restrictions on campfires and outdoor camping.

Can Miami University have protesters arrested?

Demonstrations that block traffic or pedestrians, prevent access to a building or space, prevent a space from being used for its intended purpose or disrupt school activities could lead to an arrest, Miami’s website states.

Was there any opposition to the protest?

Enquirer media partner Fox19 reported that a group of Jewish students gathered across from the encampment in opposition. As of Friday evening, there were no reported clashes between any of the opposing groups.

Hillel, a Jewish student group at Miami University, said in a statement on social media that it is aware of the protest and is continuing to provide support to Jewish students.

“We are hopeful that the protest will be peaceful and that Miami affiliates will eschew the antisemetic language and incidents that have happened on other campuses,” the statement reads. “Our top priority is the physical and emotional safety of our students − first, foremost, and always.”

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“While students have a right to protest, they do not have a right to intimidate or threaten Jewish and Israeli students − their classmates, peers, and for some, fellow Jews − who may have different viewpoints,” Hillel added in their statement.





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Can you eat Ohio River fish? Just Askin’

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Can you eat Ohio River fish? Just Askin’


Can you eat fish from the Ohio River?

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In 1975, future presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, then governor of Massachusetts, bet 20 pounds of New England cod that the Red Sox would defeat the Reds in the World Series. If things went south for Boston, Ohio governor James Rhodes promised to send Dukakis 10 pounds of Lake Erie perch and 10 pounds of Ohio River catfish. The Reds ended up winning and the cod was sent to the Convalescent Home for Children, in Cincinnati.

At the time, people were still eating catfish from the Ohio without too much concern. The fish were also served at several restaurants along the river.

There were warnings in 1977

But two years later, in 1977, The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission released the results of a study of contaminants found in the tissues of Ohio River fish. They warned anglers in cities such as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, Wheeling and Gallipolis that man-made chemicals known as PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, had been discovered in the river fish. Later, high concentrations of mercury were discovered in the fish, too.

Thanks to the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the environmental regulations that followed, the river is now cleaner than it was in the seventies. And it’s still teeming with a variety of fish, including catfish, striped bass, drum and black bass, among other species.

But even though PCBs were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1979, they are still found in fish, since they remain in the sediment in the bottom of the river. “Organisms live in the sediment and fish feed on them,” Rich Cogen, the executive director of the Ohio River Foundation told The Enquirer. Mercury is also a big problem, according to Cogen.

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So the question is: Can you eat fish caught in the Ohio River?

The short answer is yes. But it depends on what species you are eating and where along the river you caught it.

There are also very strict limitations on how frequently you should eat them, according to the web site for the Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory, part of the Ohio Department of Health.

In areas of the river between the Belleville Lock, located 204 miles downstream from the river’s origins in Pittsburgh, to the Indiana border, the advisory agency currently recommends consuming Ohio River fish no more than once a month max. That area includes Adams, Brown, Clermont, Gallia, Hamilton, Lawrence, Meigs and Scioto counties.

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Here’s where to check

Recommendations change throughout the year, but you can keep up by visiting the Ohio Department of Health’s Sport Fish Consumption Advisory page, which provides updated information on when certain fish, usually bottom feeders such as carp, are deemed too dangerous to eat at all.

Here’s who should take a pass on Ohio River fish

The agency also warns that people who are more likely to have health effects from eating contaminated fish, includingchildren younger than 15 years old, pregnant women and women who are planning to become pregnant to avoid Ohio River fish altogether.

Just because you have to limit the amount of fish you eat, doesn’t mean the river is a bad place for fishing, as long as you limit your intake or do catch-and-release fishing. Just make sure you have a proper fishing license before casting your line.

Have a question for Just Askin’? Email us.

The Just Askin’ series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, except maybe Google.

Do you have a question you want answered? Send it to us at justaskin@enquirer.com, ideally with Just Askin’ in the subject line.

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UCLA offensive coordinator visits four-star Ohio State commit

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UCLA offensive coordinator visits four-star Ohio State commit


It isn’t over until it’s over. That’s the case for both the UCLA Bruins football program recruiting and for quarterback Brady Edmunds. Edmunds is currently committed to head to Ohio State but he took a visit from UCLA offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy earlier this week.

Kennedy met Edmunds on Thursday despite the fact that the quarterback has been committed to the Buckeyes since December of 2024 but could the UCLA Bruins be making a run at flipping the quarterback?

Edmunds has only had an official visit with Ohio State but could UCLA heave a heat check on the 6’5” quarterback? New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney is off to an unbelievable start to his recruiting with the Bruins and flipping a recruit of Edmunds’ caliber would be his most impressive move yet.

247 Sports has Edmunds as the No. 16 quarterback in the class, which would give UCLA a clear predecessor for Nico Iamaleava whenever the Bruins current starting quarterback decides to head to the professional level. 

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It’d be a full circle moment for the Bruins, as Edmunds was originally recruited to Ohio State by former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, who bailed on UCLA to go run the Buckeyes offense. Ohio State is a great spot for a developing quarterback, as the Buckeyes produce tons of NFL talent, especially at the wide receiver position, which would help Edmunds put up some gaudy numbers in Columbus.

Chesney and the Bruins have geography on their side, Edmunds attends Huntington Beach High School in Southern California, which could potentially become a factor if Edmunds views UCLA as a program on the rise that’d be much closer to his friends and family than out in Ohio. 

Time will tell if Kennedy’s visit will make a difference but UCLA’s recruiting has made waves in the first offseason under Chesney and the new regime.



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Ohio rural healthcare access — an advanced solution?

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Ohio rural healthcare access — an advanced solution?


A report from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio found that rural residents are 15% more likely to die before the age of 75. Allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to operate more independently could be a solution to allow better access to care.



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