Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Orders Colleges to Shut Down Pro-Palestinian Student Organization
On October 24, Florida’s university system, in collaboration with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, made the decision to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization. This move marks the first time a U.S. state has outlawed the group, which received support from the national leadership of Hamas in their recent attack on Israel.
The State University System of Florida has mandated the dismantling of chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) as part of a “crack down” on campus demonstrations that provide what they deem as “harmful support for terrorist groups.”
Chancellor Ray Rodrigues sent a memo to university leaders stating, “Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated.” At least two Florida universities currently have active SJP chapters, according to Rodrigues.
The University of North Florida in Jacksonville and Florida State University in Tallahassee are confirmed to have SJP chapters, based on Instagram sites. The National SJP has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have been increasing at universities across the United States following Hamas’ attack on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Some U.S. university administrators have criticized the National SJP for their response to Hamas’ attack, in which they called it “a historic win for the Palestinian resistance” and organized a “day of resistance” on October 12 with demonstrations at over 200 colleges in America and Canada.
Governor DeSantis, who is also a Republican presidential candidate, has taken a hard line against Palestinians. He even suggested that Gazan civilians be denied basic amenities such as water and utilities until Hamas releases the hostages taken during their attack.
Florida’s university system justified the ban on SJP based on a “toolkit” issued by the national organization, which referred to Hamas’ attack as “the resistance” and stated that “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement.”
In the memo, Chancellor Rodrigues explained that the National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas’ attack, and under Florida law, it is a felony “to provide material support… to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
As of now, it remains to be seen how the dissolution of SJP chapters in Florida will affect the situation on college campuses. However, this move by the state has raised concerns about the suppression of freedom of speech and peaceful activism.
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