Several universities, including the University of Minnesota and New York University, have been implementing harsh punishments on student protesters, following a trend of stricter rules for campus protests. At the University of Minnesota, seven students are facing up to two-and-a-half years of suspension and $5,000 in damages after being arrested during a protest last October. Similarly, 11 students at New York University were issued one-year suspensions for staging a sit-in at a library in December.
The crackdown on student protests has been described as a way of silencing dissent by advocacy groups like Palestine Legal. These punishments have been seen as a reaction to the executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January, denouncing anti-Semitic discrimination on college campuses and threatening to cancel student visas for those involved in protests.
Despite efforts by groups like Palestine Legal to support students facing disciplinary actions, there has been a noted decrease in campus protests against Trump’s policies, including his immigration crackdown. The heavy punishments imposed by universities have inadvertently led to a decrease in student advocacy on various issues on college campuses.
Rifqa Falaneh, a fellow at Palestine Legal, highlighted the impact of the stringent policies on student speech, noting that the efforts to silence protests against Palestine have also hindered students from speaking out against Trump’s policies. The combination of high stakes and heavy punishments has led to a muted response from students on college campuses.
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