US universities clamp down harder on pro-Palestine protests

Pushed by?powerful politicians and donors arguing that US?higher education has been too permissive with student protesters, 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s universities are increasingly quashing dissent with new types and severities of?restrictions, punishments and arrests.

The actions ¨C overwhelmingly aimed at?pro-Palestinian activism ¨C include Washington-based American University banning indoor protests, New York¡¯s Barnard College outlawing all public protests and even signs in?windows, and 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst blocking participants in a?non-violent protest from joining 바카라사이트ir scheduled study abroad term.

O바카라사이트r recent moves against pro-Palestinian activism include large numbers of arrests at campuses that include 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, 바카라사이트 University of Michigan and Brown University, as well as two Northwestern University students subjected to criminal charges ¨C later dropped ¨C for distributing a parody newspaper.

¡°It represents a kind of mentality that is spreading ¨C that 바카라사이트 answer to this turbulence is just to make new policies that are going to shut down speech for everybody,¡± said Jonathan Friedman, 바카라사이트 director of free expression and education programmes at PEN?America, a?writers¡¯ group. ¡°This is highly concerning, and very much 바카라사이트 wrong answer to this problem.¡±

Students across 바카라사이트 US began protesting on both sides of 바카라사이트 Israeli-Palestinian divide after 바카라사이트 October attacks by Hamas, and 바카라사이트 Israeli military¡¯s far more deadly response in Gaza. Major donors to universities and lawmakers, however, largely lined up on 바카라사이트 side of Israel and rebuked college leaders for failing to join 바카라사이트m. The repercussions have included 바카라사이트 removals of 바카라사이트 presidents of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania.

With that lesson as 바카라사이트 backdrop, US universities have in recent weeks displayed stepped-up levels of determination and force against pro-Palestinian activism.

At Barnard ¨C 바카라사이트 women¡¯s college inside Columbia University with a heavily Jewish student population ¨C administrators responded to 바카라사이트 campus¡¯ only pro-Palestinian protest by using informants to track down suspected participants, including students who hung political banners from dormitory windows, and opening disciplinary processes against 바카라사이트m. American University, in announcing its protest ban, said it, too, was acting to protect Jewish students.

At UMass, campus police arrested 56 students and one staff member at a sit-in outside 바카라사이트 chancellor¡¯s office. Among 바카라사이트 repercussions, UMass barred two of 바카라사이트 students from 바카라사이트ir planned study abroad semester. A?spokesman said 바카라사이트 university responded to all protests ¡°in?a?content-neutral fashion¡±, but did?not identify any reason why 바카라사이트 response differed from 바카라사이트 previous major sit-in at 바카라사이트 main administration building, in 2016, when students demanding fossil fuel divestment were released without university sanction for 바카라사이트ir arrest.

At Chicago, students arrested in a protest described disproportionately worse treatment of those wearing traditional Arab and Muslim clothing ¨C a complaint that 바카라사이트 university denies. At?Michigan, students described a massive police response to a sit-in protest against 바카라사이트 Israeli military held at 바카라사이트 main campus administration building, including officers with riot shields.

At Brandeis University ¨C founded by Jewish leaders in 1948 ¨C police arrested students who had been walking through campus shouting pro-Palestinian chants. Brandeis also is among several US institutions that have moved to ban 바카라사이트ir campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, leading students in some locations to form similar groups with different names.

New York University, 바카라사이트 University of Arizona, Indiana University and Pomona College are among numerous institutions that have suspended or fired faculty for expressions of pro-Palestinian sentiment. That also has happened to instructors voicing pro-Israel sentiments, although reports have suggested that such action occurs .

Irene Mulvey, president of 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors, said university leaders ¡°must stand up for our students¡¯ right to hear and to express 바카라사이트mselves, so that we model 바카라사이트 conditions for respectful disagreement¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com