Israel, Hamas, and US Student Protests - When does protest cross the boundaries of the First Amendment?
- Nathan Chen
- Apr 29, 2024
- 2 min read
On October 7th, 2023, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people, at least 35 of whom were American citizens in Israel at the time. Since the surprise terrorist attack, Israel has declared war on Hamas and has launched multiple counterattacks, both on air and the ground, that have killed over 33,000 Palestinians.
Months after the original invasion, the war is still strong, without a clear end. Now, students at universities across America have started to protest and hold Pro-Palestinian demonstrations across campuses and staged rallies that have been clogging up campus grounds. These protests are calling for an end to all ties with Israel, and calling for the United States government to support a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters argue that their actions are protected by the First Amendment, which protects the freedom of peaceful assembly. However, colleges many and many people think otherwise. Colleges have made numerous arrests for protesters - a total of about 600 in 15 different colleges. Police have had to arrest over a hundred protestors in the state of New York alone.
Ivy League College Columbia University has a more major problem than the rest - protesters are camping on its lawns, occupying and blocking campus. Columbia University has just announced that they will be hosting the remainder of their classes for their Spring 2024 semester online, due to concerns of the safety of Jewish students on campus, and the rise of anti-semitism. Protesters have stated in response that they will stay on the lawn until the university cuts ties with Gaza.
The issue of free speech and to which point protests violate the rights of others is a heavily debated topic. What do you think? To what extent should we allow protests, particularly on the topic of Israel and Hamas? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!
Works Cited
Ewen, McKenna. “CNN 10: The Big Stories of the Day, Explained in 10 Minutes | CNN.” Www.cnn.com, 22 Apr. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/04/22/cnn10/video/ten-04232024-orig. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Proulx, Natalie. “How Should Colleges Handle Student Protests?” The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/learning/how-should-colleges-handle-student-protests.html.
Tucker, Grace. “Why Are College Students Protesting? Ohio State, Miami University Join Gaza Protests.” USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2024/04/25/ohio-state-university-miami-university-students-protest-israel-hamas-gaza/73451723007/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
I think that people should be able to have peaceful protests on the topic, but Colombia Uni expelling students for executing their 1st ammendment rights is not ok.
Great article!!