ACLU sues Florida for banning pro-Hamas university groups
University Chancellor Raymond Rodrigues targeted student groups linked to National Students for Justice in Palestine.
Quema de una bandera israelí en Kensington, en el centro de Londres, por manifestantes antisemitas pro-Palestina. (Cordon Press)
The DeSantis administration in Florida is going up against the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) after launching its policy to stop the spread of pro-Hamas speeches at universities.
The lobby group filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Florida system and Governor DeSantis. The lawsuit challenges Governor DeSantis' executive action which ordered the state universities to shut down student groups that support Hamas or operate as branches of the National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on Florida campuses. "We are not going to use state tax dollars to fund jihad," DeSantis said about the measure.
According to the lawsuit, the actions taken by University Chancellor Raymond Rodrigues are an "egregious violation" of the First Amendment. The lawsuit was filed in Gainesville.
In defense of the pro-Palestinian student groups, the ACLU claims in its lawsuit that the associations with SJP or Hamas are too ambiguous, even though, as Raymond Rodrigues accused, these groups use manuals and glossaries distributed by SJP.
The ACLU lawsuit may not be misguided. Shortly after announcing the new rule, Raymond Rodrigues had to admit that two of the first banned groups turned out not to have any real ties to SJP. According to the Post Millennial, universities have expressed reservations about banning these two student groups.
Rodrigues then retracted the order, while consulting with lawyers to decide how the state of Florida can accomplish its goal and whether it can order campuses to reject violence and Hamas.
Anti-Israel demonstrations at universities
Following the Hamas attacks against Israel, university campuses have become especially supportive of the terrorist organization and the Palestinian cause. The Stop Antisemitism association denounced George Washington University students for projecting messages in support of support Hamas onto the outside of a university building.
"Glory to our martyrs" and "Free Palestine from the river to the sea" were some of the messages that were projected onto the outside of university buildings in Washington DC. University officials didn't intervene.
This situation has put university associations in the crosshairs of the DeSantis administration in Florida.
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