BOISE, Idaho — The war between Israel and Hamas continues, as do the protests calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Several pro-Palestinian encampments have popped up throughout the country, including one in Boise.
Tents were set up in the shadow of the Statehouse over the weekend, part of an encampment erected in front of the old Ada County Courthouse.
Those tents have remained up through the weekend, and the group says they have won the legal right to keep their tents up.
"So long as protesters and demonstrators are just using these tents for symbolic or assembly purposes, they are allowed to stay here and continue in their demonstration," Casey Parsons, an attorney representing the group said.
Parsons says the site the encampment is on is subject to a 2013 precedent set by Watters v. Otter which states that using states for symbolic purposes does not violate Idaho's anti-camping statutes.
"What that means is that protesters are allowed to use tents like these, so long as they're part of the symbolic expression in which they are engaged, and are being used for assembly purposes," Parsons said.
A hearing held Saturday clarified that the pro-Palestinian encampment falls within the scope of the injunction, as an expressive activity protected under the First Amendment.
"The judge clarified the scope of the prior injunction that was entered, and instructed the Attorney General's Office and the Idaho State Police that they can only remove tents or structures insofar as they were being used for the purposes of camping," Parsons said.
So - the encampment remains, and protestors say they want to remain until their voices are heard.
"I think the bottom line is that what the State of Idaho needs to do in order to satisfy these protesters' demands is to condemn and disclaim the ongoing genocide, and commit to not furthering any funds for that purpose," Parsons said.
The protestors are not allowed to camp or sleep in the tents, so they have been working in shifts through the night.
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