New Report Documents Years of Terror Glorification by University of Virginia SJP Chapter
New study analyzing social media posts from 2021-2024 found a pattern of content glorifying terror through euphemisms like "resistance" and "freedom fighters"—language that violates platform policies
A new study by the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) has uncovered a pattern of posts glorifying terrorism and violence spanning more than three years on the Instagram account of the University of Virginia’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, with content that researchers say violates Meta’s Community Standards.
The investigation, which analyzed posts from May 2021 through November 2024, documented multiple instances where the UVA SJP chapter used euphemistic language like “resistance” and “freedom fighters” to express support for designated terrorist organizations and violent attacks against Israeli civilians.
Post-October 7 Content Raises Alarm
Most troublingly, just two days after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis, the UVA SJP account shared imagery from the massacre alongside the phrase “Decolonization is not a metaphor,” promoting a campus meeting to discuss “solidarity with Palestinians resisting occupation.”
The ARC’s findings reveal a consistent pattern of content that whitewashes terrorism under the guise of political activism. In January 2023, the group reframed a terrorist attack that killed seven Israelis in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighborhood as merely a “shooting in an illegal Israeli settlement,” justifying the violence as an “act of Palestinian resistance.”
The monitoring effort is part of the ARC’s broader initiative to track extremist content promoted by SJP chapters across North American college campuses, documenting glorification of terrorism, hate speech, and incitement to violence.
Years of Expressing Support for Designated Terror Groups
Earlier posts show the chapter’s long-standing expressions of support for designated terrorist organizations. In May 2021, UVA SJP celebrated “Lebanese Liberation and Resistance Day,” marking the anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, support for Hezbollah.
Two months later, the group shared content stating that “Palestinians will resist and liberate themselves by any means they deem fit,” language frequently used to justify terror attacks against Israeli civilians.
The group also sought to rehabilitate the image of convicted terrorists. In December 2023, UVA SJP described Ahmad Manasra, who was convicted for participating in a 2015 stabbing attack, as someone “resisting the occupation,” characterizing his arrest as a “kidnapping” rather than a lawful detention following a violent crime.
Educational Content Redefining Terrorism
Particularly revealing were the chapter’s Instagram highlight reels, which researchers found contained educational materials redefining terrorism as “resistance.” One post explicitly aimed to “correct allegedly inaccurate terms pertinent to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” translating “terrorism” into “resistance” to justify Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians.
Another highlighted post glorified the concept of “intifada,” a reference to waves of anti-Israel violence, while expressing support for “resistance and freedom fighters,” terms the researchers identified as euphemisms for terrorism and terrorists. The group also promoted reading materials about Hamas, stating that Palestinian history is “defined by our people’s steadfast resistance to Zionist colonization and imperialism.”
Questions About Platform Enforcement
The study is the latest in a series of ARC investigations documenting SJP’s promotion of terror content on Instagram. The study adds to growing concerns about the normalization of extremist rhetoric on college campuses and the use of academic settings to promote support for designated terrorist organizations under the banner of political activism and free speech.