Joint Letter to Universities: Protect Essential Student Activism for Palestinian Human Rights

On November 3, Palestine Legal and ten other legal organizations committed to racial and social justice sent an letter to the leadership of hundreds of college and university campuses nationwide—urging them to safeguard the civil and human rights of all of their students, protect the crucial role of campus debate within our democracy, and reject the repression of political speech and the policing, surveillance, and criminalization of students speaking out against the mass atrocities Palestinians are suffering and for Palestinian safety and human rights.

The letter follows a dangerous and baseless letter from Zionist groups to U.S. colleges and universities calling on them to investigate Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters for “material support for terrorism”—which has no applicability to the independent advocacy of SJPs, whose speech is protected by the First Amendment.

Student speech and organizing has always had a cherished and critical role in U.S. movements for racial and social justice, moving the needle on critical domestic and global issues.

Contact the leadership of your alma mater and local colleges and universities to share this letter and call on them to protect the rights of SJPs and so many other students courageously speaking out for Palestinian freedom.

Read the full letter here.