ACLU, Amnesty, HRW demand end to crackdowns on Palestine supporters’ campus protests
Three leading human rights groups are calling for administrators at colleges and universities in the U.S. to respect and protect the right to protest on campuses.
The statement comes amid ongoing crackdowns on Palestine-supporting campus demonstrations since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year.
In the open letter, the ACLU, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch (HRW) said they are also exploring claims of heavy-handed and excessive responses.
They said in many cases, peaceful protests were met with the use of force by campus police or local law enforcement, who were called in by university officials.
The groups said the violence, based on witness accounts, included bleeding puncture wounds, head injuries, broken teeth, and suspected broken bones.
The joint letter and remarks came after a federal judge in Austin, Texas, ruled this week that Palestine supporting student groups can sue multiple Texas universities’ presidents and board members for alleged discrimination and First Amendment violations.
The Council for Islamic American Relations, which is representing plaintiffs in Texas, called the decision a major win for anti-genocide protestors across the country.
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