Pro-Palestinian Student Groups in Texas Say Governor’s Free Speech Order Targets Them
By Zara Amaechi Published April 1, 2024 at 5:00 AM CDT
Pro-Palestinian students rally in Downtown Denton outside the courthouse. Groups like Students for Justice in Palestine say a new executive order meant to address antisemitic rhetoric on campus mischaracterizes their movement and curtails their right to free speech.
Pro-Palestinian student groups at universities across Texas are calling on school administrators to reject an executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbot last week that could penalize their on-campus activity.
The order issued Wednesday requires all public colleges and universities to review their free speech policies and establish punishments — including expulsion — “to address the sharp rise in antisemitic speech and acts on university campuses.”
He directs schools to “Ensure that these policies are being enforced on campuses and that groups such as the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for Justice in Palestine are disciplined for violating these policies.”
In a joint statement, several pro-Palestinian groups, including the Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at UT Dallas and UT Arlington, called the order “a masked, targeted attack to slow the student movement for liberation across the nation’s college campuses.”
“We condemn the racist campaign being launched in violation of our state and federal constitutions and reaffirm our commitment to fight for the liberation of Palestine on our campuses and communities,” they wrote.
The groups are circulating a petition for students to sign calling on school administrators to protect students’ right to free speech.
In the executive order, Abbott notes that protests from multiple school organizations have featured antisemitic phrases such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which he said calls for the violent dismantling of the State of Israel. The pro-Palestinian student groups say the order mischaracterizes their work.
Abbott’s order does not address anti-Muslim or anti-Arab acts.
The Texas chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations earlier this week called the order an “unconstitutional overreach,” and urged Abbott to rescind it.