On Tuesday, the UN expressed alarm about the draconian measures used to break up and disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrations on American college campuses.
In addition to employing pepper spray on demonstrators, police made arrests during the deconstruction of an encampment on Monday at the University of Texas at Austin. This brings the total number of persons detained countrywide over the weekend to over 350.
The globe has watched footage of police in riot gear being sent to many colleges to disperse protests, bringing up memories of the anti-Vietnam War protest movement.
“I am concerned that some of law enforcement actions across a series of universities appear disproportionate in their impact,” said UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
“Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are fundamental to society — particularly when there is sharp disagreement on major issues, as there are in relation to the conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel,” he added.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel, the protests and accusations of anti-Semitism have rekindled the debate over free speech.
“Incitement to violence or hatred on grounds of identity or viewpoints — whether real or assumed — must be strongly repudiated,” Turk said.
