US Colleges Change Rules for Campus Protests

01As students return to college across the United States, administrators are preparing for new activism against the war in Gaza.

02Some have adopted new rules limiting protests.

03Last spring, college protests resulted in damage, conflict, and arrests at several schools.

04The summer break brought most protests to an end, but the results of the damage last spring are still being felt.

05At Columbia University in New York City, Manoush Shafiq resigned from her position as president earlier this month.

06In April, Shafiq faced strong criticism from lawmakers over her response to protests at Columbia.

07Some universities are putting new measures in place to avoid what happened at Columbia.

08The new rules include banning encampments and limiting the duration of demonstrations.

09Critics say some of the measures will hurt free speech.

10The American Association of University Professors, AAUP, released a statement earlier this month condemning overly restrictive policies that would harm free expression.

11The AAUP said, Our colleges and universities should encourage, not suppress, open and vigorous dialogue and debate, even on the most deeply held beliefs.

12The University of Pennsylvania has released temporary guidelines for student protests.

13Overnight demonstrations are banned, and the use of loud audio equipment is barred after 5 p.m.

14on days when classes are being held.

15Signs, posters, and banners must be removed after two weeks.

16The University says it remains supportive of freedom of speech and lawful assembly.

17At Indiana University, protests after 11 p.m.

18are banned under a new expressive activities policy, which took effect on August 1st.

19The policy bars camping or placing a shelter on campus.

20Signs require approval from school officials.

21The University of South Florida now requires approval for tents, canopies, banners, signs, and amplifiers.

22Speech, expression, and assembly rules bar demonstrations after 5 p.m.

23on weekdays and weekends.

24Protests are completely banned during the last two weeks of a semester.

25Risa Lieberwitz is a Cornell University professor of labor and employment law and gives legal advice to the AAUP.

26Lieberwitz said, I think right now we are seeing a resurgence of repression on campuses that we haven't seen since the late 1960s.

27However, university officials say free speech cannot interfere with learning.

28They say the updated rules improve safety on campus.

29Tensions at many universities increased after October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel.

30Hamas killed 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians.

31Hamas also took about 250 people hostage.

32Israel's military operation to answer the attack has continued through the summer.

33Many student protesters in the U.S.

34have promised to continue their activism against the Gaza War.

35They are fueled by information from Hamas's health ministry that says more than 40,000 people have died in the Gaza conflict.

36Much of that tension appeared in the spring on Colombia's campus.

37On April 30, police with riot shields raided a building that pro-Palestinian protesters had occupied at Colombia.

38Earlier, police had cleared out a tent camp that protesters had set up.

39Similar protests took place on campuses around the country.

40It is estimated that more than 3,000 people were arrested in connection with the pro-Palestinian protests.

41However, many of the students who were arrested during police actions have had their charges dismissed.

42Some are still waiting to learn what government lawyers decide.

43Others have faced suspension from school, had their diplomas withheld, or faced other punishments.

44Colombia only recently began permitting people with university identification or registered visitors onto campus.

45Officials said they wanted to limit possible disruptions at the start of the new semester.

46Shafiq of Colombia was among the university leaders who Congress called on in April to explain what was happening.

47Lawmakers accused her of not doing enough to deal with concerns about anti-Semitism at Colombia.

48She announced her resignation weeks before classes are to start on September 3rd.

49Other university leaders have also stepped down in recent months.

50University of Pennsylvania President Liz McGill resigned in December.

51She faced pressure after she appeared before Congress and was unable to say whether calls on campus for the genocide of Jewish people would violate school policy.

52In January, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned after accusations of claiming others' writings as her own and her statement about free speech given to Congress.

53I'm Katie Weaver.

54And I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

55and I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

56I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

57I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

58I'm Mario Ritter Jr.