US Universities Should Respect Right to Protest

End Crackdown on Peaceful Pro-Palestinian Protests

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/26/us-universities-should-respect-right-protest

There have been troubling reports of antisemitic incidents in and around Columbia University’s campus. Allegations of antisemitic acts and speech by individuals, as well as acts of Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, should be investigated and addressed on the merits in a case-by-case basis, through fair and transparent processes.\
\
As protests spread to campuses across the country, university administrations should be careful not to mislabel criticism of Israeli government policies or advocacy for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic or to misuse university authority to quash peaceful protest. Instead, universities should safeguard people’s rights to assembly and free expression.

#free-speech #freedom #liberty #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #palestine #gaza #israel #protest #protests #columbia-university #islamophobia #antisemitism

Pro-Palestine university campus protests have spread across the United States, with harsh crackdowns at some institutions, including Columbia University, the University of Texas, and Emory University.