Has the war in Gaza exposed limitations of free speech in the US?

May 3, 2024

DHAKA – Protests have rocked US university campuses over the last week as pro-Palestinian students have encamped on the grounds of Columbia, Yale, and New York University, among other prestigious educational institutions, urging universities to divest from the state of Israel amid the ongoing genocide.

However, the response to these protests from university authorities, law enforcement, and the US government has been surprising, given the country’s strong position on free speech built on a solid constitutional basis.

The First Amendment of the US constitution protects “freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. Free speech has been a bedrock of the values on which the US claims its nation is built, so much so that the country seldom shies away from criticising others over the lack of protection for these fundamental rights. In the most recent annual country reports on human rights produced by the US Department of State, among the many countries criticised for “serious restrictions on freedom of expression” were Bangladesh, India, China, and Russia.

Reports suggest that currently, the pro-Palestinian protesters at various campuses are facing serious restrictions on their freedom to express solidarity with the victims of a mindlessly violent military campaign being perpetrated by Israel, a campaign that has led to the death of over 34,000 civilians. Protesters are encamping themselves on university campuses by putting up tents and conducting largely peaceful demonstrations, mainly demanding that universities cut ties with Israel, by either pulling out of any deals with the Israeli government or pulling out of deals with companies that are