CU Boulder Must Drop Charges Against Student Palestine Activists and Journalists

students protest at CU Boulder

The University of Colorado-Boulder (CU Boulder) is violating the civil and constitutional rights of students who protested against the university’s partnership with war profiteer Lockheed Martin, Palestine Legal wrote in a letter to the university yesterday.

Sixteen students, including three student journalists who did not play any role in the protest, are currently facing student conduct charges over a largely silent 15-minute protest against Lockheed Martin during a career fair on campus on October 16. Lockheed Martin recruiters left the event after the student protest.

Lockheed Martin has played a key role in supplying fighter jets, military transport planes, and missiles used by Israel in carrying out its ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

The day after the protest the university imposed draconian interim measures against the students, banning them from campus outside of class time and cutting off their access to campus housing, food, jobs, and other university resources. Three of the students were also banned from classes. After students and their supporters persistently challenged the bans, they were lifted three weeks later.

“When CU Boulder suspended me for standing with Palestine, the only thing I could think about were the students in Gaza whose universities have been bombed out of existence,” explained one suspended student, who wished to remain anonymous. “What happened to me is a fraction of their loss, but it exposes how quickly CU punishes anyone who refuses to look away from their complicity in genocide.”

CU Boulder is currently being sued over similar interim suspensions and disciplinary actions it took against student protestors last year.

Read our letter here.

Take action

Join Jewish Voice for Peace in demanding that CU Boulder drop all charges and protect free speech.

Read about Boulder Students for Justice in Palestine’s campaign here.