From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 27, 2025
‘Not peaceful protest’: Free speech group condemns Barnard College disruption
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLuke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemns a disruptive anti-Israel protest on New York’s Barnard College campus last night.
FIRE says that actions carried out by the protesters, including assault, disrupting classes, and blocking other students from class, are not covered by free speech protections.
“What happened at Barnard last night was, by all accounts, not peaceful protest. Campuses need to draw a hard line: full support for peaceful student protest on even the most divisive political issues, and zero tolerance for misconduct, violence, or criminality,” says FIRE’s vice president, Alex Morey. “The buck stops with administrators. Barnard needs to educate students on these basic distinctions and be clear-eyed when it’s time to enforce rules that keep speakers safe on campus.”
Holding administrators hostage is not free speech.
Assault is not free speech.
Disrupting classes is not free speech.
Barring students from getting to class is not free speech.
Any @BarnardCollege agitators who chose force over peaceful protest must be held accountable. pic.twitter.com/5PycHswu1h
— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) February 27, 2025
The organization says that college administrators negotiating with the protesters over amnesty for activists is “deeply concerning.”
The statement is a harsh rebuke from FIRE, a leading free speech advocacy group that is staunchly nonpartisan, including on issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Barnard, an affiliate of Columbia University, has the highest level of self-censorship due to fear of speaking out among the 250 colleges FIRE ranks for free speech.
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