On December 11, a group of New York University students and faculty staged a nonviolent pro-Palestinian protest at Bobst Library, calling on the university to disclose its investments in companies with ties to Israel. Earlier this month, the university responded with sweeping disciplinary measures, including lengthy suspensions for 13 students.
These students and their supporters are now accusing school officials of using collective punishment to target pro-Palestine individuals—especially those with a longer history of organizing. Of the 13 who have been suspended, at least eight have so far have had successful appeals, which shortened their year-long suspension to one semester. For many students, the suspensions have made daily life harder by jeopardizing their ability to pay for basic necessities. At least one has lost access to their scholarship, and at least five suspended students have already lost their university-affiliated jobs because of the sanctions, according to student organizers. They also worry about how the discipline could affect their graduation and career prospects. But many say they remain committed to their pro-Palestinian activism despite what they see as a crackdown on their ability to protest freely.
"They can keep suspending me until they expel me but regardless, I will continue to advocate for Palestinian liberation," Hafiza Khalique, one of the suspended students, told Hell Gate.