Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Rally or protest
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Rally or Protests
University administration changed university policy as a consequence
Other Law Enforcement
State Campus Free Speech Act
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On May 8, 2025, Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2880 into law, making it illegal to establish or occupy encampments on public university and community college campuses in Arizona. The law defined an encampment as any temporary shelter, including tents, set up to remain on campus overnight or for a prolonged period. Campus administrators were required to issue an order to remove unauthorized encampments, and law enforcement could enforce compliance if individuals failed to vacate. Individuals who violated the law could face criminal trespass charges, civil liability for removal costs, and disciplinary action under campus codes of conduct.
The law was introduced against the backdrop of multiple protest encampments at Arizona universities in April 2024. On April 26 and 28, 2024, dozens of pro-Palestinian students and community members set up an unauthorized encampment on campus, outside approved protest hours and despite university policies that prohibited tents and overnight occupation; police arrested 69 people on criminal trespass charges after repeated warnings to disperse. Around April 29, 2024, protesters at another Arizona university established a Gaza solidarity encampment with tents and signs; university officials warned that anyone remaining past specified hours could be arrested, and the group eventually dismantled the structures and dispersed.
HB 2880 amended Arizona’s existing statutes on student conduct and free expression. It specified that actions prohibited by the encampment rules were considered misconduct under university and college policies. The law retained procedural protections for students facing disciplinary action, including written notice of charges, access to evidence, the opportunity to confront witnesses, and the right to legal counsel in cases involving suspension or expulsion. Campuses were authorized to recover costs for removing encampments and repairing any damage caused by unauthorized occupation.
The legislation applied to all public universities and community colleges in Arizona and went into effect on October 3, 2025. It prohibited overnight protests and encampments while giving institutions a framework to manage unauthorized structures and maintain campus operations. The law explicitly linked the encampment prohibition to existing rules on free expression and student discipline, ensuring that violations could be addressed through both university processes and legal enforcement.
