October 27th 2023.
Ron DeSantis, Florida's governor and presidential candidate, has recently taken action against the national Students for Justice in Palestine organization. According to Politico, DeSantis issued a memo on October 24th to the university system chancellor Ray Rodrigues, ordering a “crackdown” on campus events related to the organization. The memo labels the organization as “harmful support for terrorist groups” similar to Hamas, and instructs that the student chapters of the organization must be deactivated.
The action is likely a result of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine, as DeSantis has publicly supported Israel. It is believed that at least two Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at unspecified universities face cancellation. However, the chapters at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida are still active.
The state cites a toolkit published by the national organization, which they claim is in violation of state law. Part of the kit labeled an attack, known as “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, as “the resistance” and claimed that “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement and not in solidarity with the movement.”
Fellow Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has criticized DeSantis' decision, claiming it is an attempt to silence freedom of speech and won’t solve any problems. He said, “My view is that the answer to bad speech is not less speech, it is more speech. And I think it is wrong for us to silence those we disagree with. I don’t think that’s the American way. I don’t think that’s productive, and I don’t think we convince any of those people by browbeating them into submission through fear either.”
It is clear that Ron DeSantis' decision to deactivate campus groups with ties to the Students for Justice in Palestine organization has sparked controversy. While the state is attempting to protect itself from supporting terrorist organizations, the move is seen by some as an infringement on freedom of speech. It remains to be seen how this action will ultimately be interpreted and how it will affect the upcoming presidential election.
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