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Friday 16 august 2024

U.S. colleges revise rules on free speech in hopes of containing

anti-war demonstrations

Continued from Front The Ivy League school in up- Shafik's congressional testi-
per Manhattan was roiled mony in mid-April, when she
Some of the new rules im- earlier this year by student denounced antisemitism but
posed by universities include demonstrations, culminating faced criticism for how she
banning encampments, limit- in scenes of police officers responded to faculty and
ing the duration of demon- with zip ties and riot shields students accused of bias.
strations, allowing protests storming a building occupied The school sent in police to
only in designated spaces by pro-Palestinian protesters. clear the tents the following
and restricting campus ac- Similar protests swept col- day, only for the students to
cess to those with university lege campuses nationwide, return and inspire a wave of
identification. Critics say with many leading to violent similar protests at campuses
some of the measures will clashes with police and more across the country as stu-
curtail free speech. than 3,000 arrests. Many of dents called for schools to
The American Association of the students who were ar- cut financial ties with Israel
University Professors issued a rested during police crack- and companies supporting
statement Wednesday con- Columbia University President Nemat (Minouche) Shafik testifies downs have had their charg- the war.
demning "overly restrictive before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce es dismissed, but some are The campus was mostly quiet
policies" that could discour- hearing on "Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University's Response still waiting to learn what this summer, but a conserv-
age free expression. Many to Antisemitism" on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 17, 2024. prosecutors decide. Many ative news outlet in June
of the new policies require Associated Press have faced fallout in their published images of what
protesters to register well in academic careers, includ- it said were text messages
advance and strictly limit displayed on university prop- campus safety. ing suspensions, withheld exchanged by administra-
the locations where gath- erty without prior approval. Tensions have run high on diplomas and other forms tors while attending a May 31
erings can be held, as well The University of South Florida college campuses since Oct. of discipline. panel discussion titled "Jewish
as setting new limits on the now requires approval for 7, when Hamas militants as- Shafik was among the univer- Life on Campus: Past, Present
use of amplified sound and tents, canopies, banners, saulted southern Israel and sity leaders who were called and Future."
signage. signs and amplifiers. The killed 1,200 people, most for questioning before Con- The officials were removed
"Our colleges and universi- school's "speech, expression of them civilians, and took gress. She was heavily criti- from their posts, with Shafik
ties should encourage, not and assembly" rules stipulate about 250 hostages. cized by Republicans who saying in a July 8 letter to
suppress, open and vigorous that no "activity," including Many student protesters in accused her of not doing the school community that
dialogue and debate even protests or demonstrations, the U.S. vow to continue their enough to combat concerns the messages were unpro-
on the most deeply held is allowed after 5 p.m. on activism, which has been about antisemitism on the fessional and "disturbingly
beliefs," said the statement, weekdays or during week- fueled by Gaza's rising death Columbia campus. touched on ancient antise-
adding that many policies ends and not allowed at all toll, which surpassed 40,000 She announced her resig- mitic tropes."
were imposed without fac- during the last two weeks of on Thursday, according to nation in an emailed letter Other prominent Ivy League
ulty input. a semester. the territory's Health Ministry. to the university community leaders have stepped down
The University of Pennsylvania A draft document obtained About 50 Columbia students just weeks before the start of in recent months, in large
has outlined new "temporary over the summer by the stu- still face discipline over last classes on Sept. 3. The uni- part due to their response
guidelines" for student pro- dent newspaper at Harvard spring's demonstrations af- versity on Monday began to the volatile protests on
tests that include bans on University showed the college ter a mediation process restricting campus access campus.
encampments, overnight was considering prohibitions that began earlier in the to people with Columbia IDs University of Pennsylvania
demonstrations, and the on overnight camping, chalk summer stalled, according and registered guests, saying President Liz Magill resigned
use of bullhorns and speak- messages and unapproved to Mahmoud Khalil, a lead it wanted to curb "potential in December after less than
ers until after 5 p.m. on class signs. negotiator working on behalf disruptions" as the new se- two years on the job. She
days. Penn also requires that "I think right now we are see- of Columbia student protest- mester draws near. faced pressure from donors
posters and banners be re- ing a resurgence of repres- ers. He blamed the impasse "This period has taken a con- and criticism over testimony
moved within two weeks of sion on campuses that we on Columbia administrators. siderable toll on my family, as at a congressional hearing
going up. The university says haven't seen since the late "The university loves to ap- it has for others in the com- where she was unable to say
it remains committed to free- 1960s," said Risa Lieberwitz, a pear that they're in dialogue munity," Shafik wrote in her under repeated questioning
dom of speech and lawful Cornell University professor of with the students. But these letter. "Over the summer, I that calls on campus for the
assembly. labor and employment law are all fake steps meant to have been able to reflect genocide of Jews would vi-
At Indiana University, protests who serves as general coun- assure the donor community and have decided that olate the school's conduct
after 11 p.m. are forbidden sel for the AAUP. and their political class," said my moving on at this point policy.
under a new "expressive ac- Universities say they encour- Khalil, a graduate student at would best enable Columbia And in January, Harvard Uni-
tivities policy" that took effect age free speech as long as it Columbia's School of Inter- to traverse the challenges versity President Claudine
Aug 1. The policy says "camp- doesn't interfere with learn- national and Public Affairs. ahead." Gay resigned amid plagia-
ing" and erecting any type ing, and they insist they are The university did not imme- Pro-Palestinian protesters first rism accusations and similar
of shelter are prohibited on simply updating existing rules diately respond to a request set up tent encampments on criticism over her testimony
campus, and signs cannot be for demonstrations to protect for comment Thursday. Columbia's campus during before Congress.q