COLLEGE PARK, Md. (DC News Now) -- A student group is suing the University of Maryland (UMD) over First Amendment rights. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) planned to hold a vigil on Oct. 7, the day that Hamas attacked Israel. The university said earlier this month that they're only hosting university-sponsored events that promote reflection on Oct. 7. SJP said school officials told them this summer that they could hold a vigil on McKeldin Mall that day. Pro-Palestine protest breaks out against Israeli Prime Minister’s visit to DC Oct. 7 is the day Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. The students in SJP said they see Oct. 7 as the day Israel started a genocide in Gaza, with more than 41,000 killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. "It's also our responsibility to bring more people into the movement, to actually fight for equality, justice and liberation for all people," said Daniela Colombi, board member of the UMD chapter of SJP. In a letter on September 1, UMD President Darryll Pines said after public calls to cancel events, police said there was no immediate or active threat, but no group would be allowed to host events on Oct. 7. "Creating a free speech blackout day for 24 hours on a high attention day to only allow institutionally controlled speech is inherently against our first amendment." In the lawsuit, lawyers argue SJP and Jewish Voices for Peace were planning to have a vigil, educational activities and inter-faith prayers. "It's not lawful for campus officials to give in to pressure groups that don't like what UMD SJP has to say," said Gadeir Abbas, deputy litigation director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Palestine Legal filed the suit on behalf of UMD SJP. "There's no precedent for any public university doing something like that. There's no examples of for 9/11 blackout dates," Abbas said. Community members gather for prayer vigil at Adas Israel Congregation in DC Some Jewish students say the planned event is insensitive and agree with the university's decision. "The university is not providing anyone else with the platform, like specifically the Jewish community to do anything on McKeldin Mall," said Yaniv Ashwal. "It's just going to be a day that's kind of equal for everyone on both sides. SJP is looking for UMD's decision to be ruled unconstitutional, for damages and attorneys fees. DC News Now asked UMD for a comment on the lawsuit. The school referred us back to that Sept. 1 letter to the community.