Palestine – Experts from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed their deep concern on Thursday about the widespread crackdown on student protests in support of Palestine and against the war on the Gaza Strip on various American universities.
The UN experts called for an end to the violations committed against the student movement in the United States, and said, “The banning and attacking of student protests constitute a serious violation of the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression guaranteed by international human rights law, and must stop immediately.”
They called on the United States to ensure respect for the freedom of peaceful assembly, as stipulated in Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the United States has ratified, and as stipulated in Article 5 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
The UN experts expressed their rejection of the accusation of anti-Semitism being attached to the movement rejecting the war on Gaza, and said that “describing all peaceful demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinian people, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and criticism of Israel’s policies as anti-Semitic is inaccurate and unjustified.”
They said that “the political pressure exerted on university administrators and academics to take certain positions and actions regarding these protests is a blatant interference in academic freedom, which is a cornerstone of democracy.”
They explained that many students reported experiencing “severe retaliation for their participation in the protests, including summonses and arrests, deportation from the United States, expulsion from the university and suspension from studies, loss of university housing, unnecessary surveillance, denial of graduation from the university, and other punitive measures that could significantly impact their freedom, health, education, and future employment.”
The UN experts called on the US government and university administrations in the United States to abide by the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right to defend rights, in line with international human rights law.
They called on the United States to “create a safe and enabling environment in which everyone can freely express their views on issues of public concern.”
The United States witnessed a large-scale student movement rejecting the war on Gaza, supporting Palestine, and denouncing the American position supporting the Israeli massacres against the Palestinians in the Strip.
Student protests swept through dozens of universities in various US states and cities, including prestigious universities including Columbia, Yale, Harvard and New York University.
During their sit-ins and demonstrations, the students demanded an end to the war on Gaza, and they also demanded that their universities withdraw their investments from companies that support the Israeli occupation.
These protests sparked mixed reactions in American political circles, as some tried to accuse the protesting students of “anti-Semitism,” while others warned of the violation of freedoms as the authorities resorted to force to disperse the sit-ins and arrest hundreds of students and professors.
Source: Websites
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2024-07-27 03:39:08
