The American Civil Liberties Union has appealed Florida’s ban on pro-Palestinian university student groups, saying in a federal lawsuit that the state violates students’ freedom of expression, at a time when tensions are roiling American universities due to Israel’s war with Hamas.
University authorities in Florida, with the participation of state Governor Ron DeSantis, ordered colleges last month to close branches of the “Students for Justice in Palestine” organization, a group that has been at the heart of the movement on American campuses since the Hamas attack on October 7.
The lawsuit against DeSantis, a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, and several public university system officials seeks a preliminary injunction to restrain a government decision barring Students for Justice in Palestine from receiving tuition funds and using campus facilities. .
There are branches of the organization in at least two universities in Florida: the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.
Tension between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students has led to harassment and attacks on American universities since the Hamas attack and the subsequent Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.
