After the Gaza solidarity encampments last year, many colleges have reformed their protest policies. Over the summer, DePaul was included in this trend.
The newly developed guidelines include that students “may not impede passageway in or out of any facility owned pathway, students may not create excessive noise, and no view may be obstructed from signs or banners.”
Similarly, the University of Indiana has imposed a time restriction on protests, where students can only express their opinions between the times of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Anyone found to have violated the Expressive Activity Policy can result in citation, trespass and/or interim suspension from campus.
These new restrictions did not come without opposition. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana has filed a lawsuit stating that the university is violating students First Amendment rights.
Along with the ACLU’s statement, the American Association of University Professors has released a statement regarding the crackdowns on protests.
“Our colleges and universities should encourage, not suppress, open and vigorous dialogue and debate even on the most deeply held beliefs,” the statement said.
This startling trend has not gone unnoticed by students on campus at DePaul.
William Endres, a second-year computer science student, believes that the censorship will not end.
“I believe that the new policies in all universities are a First Amendment violation,” Endres said. “Think of it like this: how would you feel if the U.S. government said you can no longer protest about these issues, and new policies are put in place for protesting? That would be classified as something like martial law.”
Grey Light, a junior and photographer studying at Roosevelt College, has witnessed firsthand the new policies and how they affect protesters.
“These students are not a threat. They are performing civil acts that they believe in,” Light said. “You are targeting a specific group because how many other groups are going to stay overnight and be loud?”
These protest rules have directly affected students and organizations on campus that were not involved in the encampments.
The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at DePaul has had sanctions put on them due to the encampment.
Other campuses, such as the University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago have restricted Students for Justice in Palestine as well.
The direct attack on students’ rights to protest, along with the sanctioning of activism groups, is a direct violation of students’ First Amendment rights.
“The sanctioning of these groups hurts the goal of a protest — which is to disrupt,” Light said. “It’s a shame that the schools are missing this point so far, most protest groups I have taken photos of have communicated with the schools.”
Palestine Legal has recently filed a Civil Rights complaint against the University of Chicago,
“For nearly year-long, Hostile environment of Anti-Palestinian Racism in Violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
The complaint includes information on how Palestinian students are being unlawfully discriminated against — especially with the new protesting policies that have been put in place.
These rules have been enforced at DePaul, but they did not stop students from holding a press conference and marching around campus earlier this month.
Despite the new age of protest rules, there seems to be no stopping of groups hosting events or marches.
Many colleges are reportedly preparing for protests this fall, while students are contacting activist groups and legal groups to support their efforts on campus.
Protests and mass demonstrations are a sign of a healthy democracy — it is a good sign that students are finding ways to go around these policies in an effort to have their voices heard.
These restrictions are going to result in utilizing the leverage and power of social media outreach, with groups hosting surprise protests on campus, calling for students, faculty and other members of the community to come out and support.
“The founding fathers supported First Amendment rights of freedom of speech,” Light said. “These policies are going against American values.”
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