University of Southern California’s Violent Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Protest Condemned
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) denounced the moves and demanded the administration adhere to its values of protecting the free speech rights of its students.
On Wednesday, April 24, students set up an encampment at USC’s Alumni Park as part of a “Gaza Solidarity Occupation” organized by the USC Divest From Death Coalition, made up of USC students, staff, faculty, and alumni, to protest the university’s investments tied to Israeli apartheid.
USC’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) was deployed to break up the tent encampment. Videos filmed by student protesters allegedly show DPS officers using excessive force against students as the protesters attempted to stop the removal of the tents.
A student was detained by officers but was reportedly let go after protesters chanting “Let him go” blocked the DPS vehicle from leaving.
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In a statement, CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik said:
“It is deeply concerning that USC’s response to students demonstrating peacefully in solidarity with Palestine is forcible suppression of free speech and assembly. This mirrors a nationwide trend of colleges and universities attempting to censor pro-Palestine advocacy on campuses. All students should feel safe while expressing their views and engaging in their right to assemble peacefully. We demand USC immediately cease any further acts of repression against the protesters and take action to respect and protect the speech of its students.”
Source: Cair.com
