US universities review free speech rules in hopes of curbing anti-war protests

NEW YORK — As students return to colleges across the United States, administrators are bracing for a resurgence of activism against the war in Gaza, with some schools adopting rules to limit the kind of protests that swept campuses last spring.

While the summer break provided a respite for student demonstrations against the war between Israel and Hamas, it also gave student protesters and higher education officials a chance to regroup and strategize for the fall semester.

The stakes remain high. At Columbia University, President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday after coming under heavy criticism for her handling of protests on the New York City campus, where the wave of pro-Palestinian encampments began last spring.

Some of the new rules imposed by universities include banning camping, limiting the length of demonstrations, allowing protests only in designated spaces and restricting access to campus to those carrying a university ID. Critics say some of the measures will limit freedom of expression.

The American Association of University Professors issued a statement Wednesday condemning “overly restrictive policies” that could discourage free speech. Many of the new policies require protesters to register well in advance and strictly limit where gatherings can take place, as well as placing new limits on the use of amplified sound and signage.

“Our universities and colleges should encourage, not stifle, open and vigorous dialogue and debate about even the most deeply held beliefs,” the statement said, adding that many policies were imposed without faculty involvement.

The University of Pennsylvania has drawn up new “temporary guidelines” for student protests that include a ban on camping, nighttime demonstrations and the use of megaphones and loudspeakers until after 5 p.m. on class days. Penn is also requiring that signs and banners be removed within two weeks of being posted. The university says it remains committed to free speech and lawful assembly.

At Indiana University, protests after 11 p.m. are banned under a new “expressive activities policy” that went into effect Aug. 1. The policy says “camping out” and erecting any type of shelter on campus is prohibited, and signs cannot be displayed on university property without prior approval.

The University of South Florida now requires an approval for tents, marquees, banners, signs and amplifiers. The school’s “speech, expression and assembly” rules stipulate that no “activity,” including protests or demonstrations, is permitted after 5 p.m. on weekdays or on weekends and not permitted at all during the last two weeks of a semester.

A draft document obtained over the summer by Harvard University’s student newspaper showed the university was considering banning overnight camping, chalk messages and unapproved signs.

“I think we’re seeing a resurgence of campus repression right now that we haven’t seen since the late 1960s,” said Risa Lieberwitz, a professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University who serves as general counsel for the AAUP.

Universities say they encourage free speech as long as it does not interfere with learning, and insist they are simply updating existing rules for protests to protect campus safety.

Tensions have been high on university campuses since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking around 250 hostages.

Many student protesters in the United States are vowing to continue their activism, which has been spurred by the rising death toll in Gaza, which surpassed 40,000 on Thursday, according to the territory’s health ministry.

About 50 Columbia students still face disciplinary action from last spring’s demonstrations after a mediation process that began in early summer stalled, according to Mahmoud Khalil, a lead negotiator working on behalf of Columbia student protesters. He blamed Columbia administrators for the impasse.

“The university loves to give the impression that it is engaging with students, but these are all disingenuous measures designed to appease the donor community and its political class,” said Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The Ivy League school in upper Manhattan was rocked earlier this year by student demonstrations, culminating in scenes of police officers with zip ties and riot shields storming a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Similar protests spread across college campuses across the country, many resulting in violent clashes with police and more than 3,000 arrests. Many of the students who were arrested during police raids have had their charges dismissed, but some are still waiting to hear what prosecutors decide. Many have faced consequences to their academic careers, including suspensions, withholding of diplomas and other forms of discipline.