The University of Texas at Dallas this week replaced three "spirit rocks" after the boulders became platforms for expression amid the war in the Gaza Strip, the Texas Tribune reported.
Student groups on campus painted pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel messages on the three large stones, a presence for years on the campus, including one last week that read, "Zionism = Nazism."
"The spirit rocks were not intended to be a display for extended political discourse, and because painted messages have been negatively impacting people on and off campus, our best solution was to remove them," the school said in a statement Monday.
Alex DeJesus, a senior political science student at UT Dallas, denounced the decision.
"Not only was this a 180, but also the reasoning given was hypocritical, lacking and contradictory given the 15 years of history," he told the Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune reported that the rocks were replaced with trees.
Many Americans have clashed over the conflict since Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.
In interviews with more than a dozen Jewish, Palestinian and other members of Generation Z — those born after 1996 — many expressed frustration that nuanced opinions have been drowned out. Social media, which many say has helped advance their understanding of events, has also exhausted them and alienated them from friends.
Polling shows this generation is more skeptical of Israeli policy toward Palestinians than older Americans.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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