{"id":2079937,"date":"2023-10-26T09:58:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T13:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-desantis-bans-student-organization-on-florida-campuses-for-support-of-terrorist-group\/"},"modified":"2023-10-26T10:00:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T14:00:15","slug":"ron-desantis-bans-student-organization-on-florida-campuses-for-support-of-terrorist-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-desantis-bans-student-organization-on-florida-campuses-for-support-of-terrorist-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Ron DeSantis prohibits student organization backing terrorist group at Florida campuses."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fron-desantis-bans-student-organization-on-florida-campuses-for-support-of-terrorist-group%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2079937&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>When does campus activism move from free speech to material support for terrorism?<\/h2>\n<p>One could fairly easily \u2014 and \u2062noncontroversially \u2014 \u200dposit that the line gets\u2064 drawn whenever the activists specifically <em>say<\/em> they\u2019re joining with the \u200bterrorists, and not just \u2062in solidarity. If they\u2019ve issued a so-called toolkit to get\u2063 involved in the terror group\u2019s activities, that should \u2064be \u200danother big, honking red flag.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, we\u2019re debating the state of \u200cFlorida\u2019s\u2062 decision to shut down campus-based Students for Justice in Palestine organizations after they did, well, exactly that.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, in consultation with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flbog.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Deactivation-of-Students-for-Justice-in-Palestine.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">memorandum<\/a> deactivating SJP groups in \u201cour State University \u2062System and the Florida College System.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cue the outcry over free speech, despite the group\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/harvard-students-anti-israel-open-letter-backfires-horribly-employer-responds-email\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blatant terrorist sympathies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel \u2014 among those killed were babies, women,\u2062 and elderly,\u201d Rodrigues wrote in\u200b the memorandum.\u200c \u201cTo date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our \u2064State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these \u200battacks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Rodrigues noted, the name of the attack, as given\u200d by Hamas, is \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hamas-calls-muslims-around-world-mobilize-friday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Operation Al-Aqsa Flood<\/a>.\u201d \u200dIn response to the attack, the national \u200cchapter of the SJP issued a \u201ctoolkit\u201d identifying members of\u200b the organization \u200cas \u201cthe resistance\u201d and \u2062making it clear that \u201cPalestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity \u200dwith\u2063 this movement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, as <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/israel-palestine-desantis-florida-education-sjp-12b4d4f2bdd8618c12b8a29cc852be25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u200dAssociated Press<\/a> noted, the group has long encouraged the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/san-francisco-teachers-union-votes-endorse-anti-israel-bds-movement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tacitly anti-Semitic BDS<\/a> movement, which aims to treat Israel as an \u201capartheid state\u201d and\u200c boycott, divest from and \u200csanction it the same way the world did with apartheid South Africa.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBased\u2063 on \u2062the National SJP\u2019s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor\u200d DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,\u201d Rodrigues \u2062wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Granted, this raises free speech\u200d concerns, given that these chapters are at state-funded schools and have their First Amendment free-speech rights.<\/p>\n<p>However, as Rodrigues pointed out, Florida\u2063 makes it a felony\u2062 to \u201cknowingly provide material support \u2026 \u200bto a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/palestinian-terrorists-issue-death-threat-on-american-reformer-as-biden-admin-seeks-closer-ties\/\" title=\"Palestinian Terrorists Issue Death Threat on American Reformer as Biden Admin Seeks Closer Ties\">designated foreign terrorist organization<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">NEW: Governor\u2062 DeSantis just ordered the University of Florida and the University of South\u200d Florida to deactivate\u200d their \u201cStudents for Justice in Palestine\u201d groups for violating Florida\u2019s laws\u200c against antisemitism. \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Y3B6hLnRJZ\">pic.twitter.com\/Y3B6hLnRJZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MaryMargOlohan\/status\/1716930181083066727?\">October 24, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Hamas \u2064is, of course, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shock-video-idf-warns-gazan-man-to-evacuate-children-before-bombing-he-responds-if-the-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die\/\" title=\"Shock Video: IDF Warns Gazan Man To Evacuate Children Before Bombing. He Responds: \u2018If The Children Need To Die Then They\u2019ll Die\u2019\">internationally recognized terrorist organization<\/a> that also happens to technically control the Gaza Strip\u2019s political power thanks to a one-man-one-vote-one-time legislative\u200b election <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2023\/10\/24\/gaza-election-hamas-2006-palestine-israel\/\">in 2006<\/a>. That doesn\u2019t remove the terrorist element from the group\u2019s makeup, nor does it make \u201cOperation\u200c Al-Aqsa Flood\u201d anything more than a barbaric act of \u200cterrorism under \u2063international law.<\/p>\n<p>But, yet\u2064 again, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/desantis-says-help-israel-hunt-eradicate-barbarians-president\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DeSantis<\/a> is cracking down on free speech, \u200dto hear SJP-friendly groups tell\u200c it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFlorida,\u2062 particularly under the \u200bleadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, has \u200dbeen actively undermining education, freedom of speech and social justice movements, including by \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-desantis-bans-student-organization-on-florida-campuses-for-support-of-terrorist-group\/\" title=\"Ron DeSantis prohibits student organization backing terrorist group at Florida campuses.\">banning\u200b anti-racist courses<\/a> and trying to criminalize protests,\u201d Palestine Legal, a group that supports pro-Palestinian causes, said in a Wednesday <a href=\"https:\/\/palestinelegal.org\/news\/2023\/10\/25\/desantis-order-to-deactivate-national-sjp-in-florida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is not surprising that this egregious move to silence the student movement for Palestinian rights is \u2064being pursued under DeSantis,\u201d the group said.<\/p>\n<p>Same thing \u2064with\u2063 free speech organizations, too: \u201cIf it goes unchallenged, no one\u2019s political beliefs will be safe\u2064 from government suppression,\u201d the Foundation for Individual \u2063Rights and Expression said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/news\/statement-orders-florida-public-universities-derecognize-students-justice-palestine-we-must\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>, adding the government doesn\u2019t have\u200c the power to ban chapters of the \u200dSJP even \u200dif the organization is breaking the law.<\/p>\n<p>Now, to be \u200bclear, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/newsom-brutally-mocked-video-goes-viral-gov-looking-absolutely-lost-christian-song\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State University System of Florida<\/a> said in\u200b its letter that banned student chapters\u200b \u201cmay \u200dform another organization that\u200c complies with Florida state statutes and university policies.\u201d Which wouldn\u2019t involve lending their support to\u200b a terrorist organization, of course, or declaring that they were \u201cPART of this\u201d \u2064terrorist attack\u200c on the \u2062state of\u2062 Israel.<\/p>\n<p>And the \u200cmedia, ever looking to keep the narrative going, \u2064tied this back in with the false narratives that Florida teaches students \u2064that slavery is good and that diversity is bad: \u201cUnder DeSantis, Florida has limited how race \u2062can be discussed in schools,\u200c prohibited\u2062 state \u2064universities from spending money \u2063on diversity, equality and inclusion programs and\u2063 taken other actions that critics say limit free speech on campus,\u201d the AP claimed.<\/p>\n<p>Look, if you want to buy into the silly race canard\u2062 or beat the dead DEI horse again, fine. However, to equate \u200cprofessed material support for the Hamas effort \u2063with controversial curriculum items is \u2063beyond \u2063the pale.<\/p>\n<p>If these student organizations wish to continue supporting the Hamas cause with their speech, they\u2019re more than able to \u200bdo so \u2014 as \u200dRodrigues made clear.<\/p>\n<p>The reason they\u2019ve been shut down is because they\u2019re\u200d part of a national\u2064 organization that doesn\u2019t just \u2063lend its verbal and\u2062 political support to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-furious-israeli-officials-vow-teach-un-chief-lesson-justifying-hamas-attack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hamas\u2019 terror attacks<\/a> but expressly declares itself \u200c <em>a \u2062part of those<\/em> <em>attacks <\/em>and gives\u200d members the tools it feels they need to assist.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 question shouldn\u2019t be whether this is a free-speech crackdown on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/desantis-trump-vow-ban-refugees-gaza-haley-says-separate-civilians-terrorists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DeSantis\u2019<\/a> part,\u2064 but whether other governors have the good sense to \u200dfollow his lead \u2014\u2063 no matter what legal battle might ensue.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3>An Urgent Note from Our Staff:<\/h3>\n<p><em><b>The Western Journal has been labeled \u201cdangerous\u201d simply because we have\u2063 a biblical worldview and speak the truth about what is happening in America.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We refuse to let Big Tech and woke advertisers\u2062 dictate the content we share\u2063 with our community. \u2064We stand \u200bfor truth. \u2063We stand for freedom. We stand with our readers.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We\u2019re asking you to help us \u200cin this \u200cfight. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>We can\u2019t do this without you<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newt-gingrich-calls-8-republicans-traitors-they-should-all-be-driven-out-of-public-life\/\" title=\"Newt Gingrich labels 8 Republicans as 'traitors', demands their removal from public life.\">donation directly\u2064 helps fund<\/a> our editorial team \u200bof writers and editors.\u2062 Your support means we can continue \u200dto expose false narratives and defend traditional \u2062American\u200c values.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please stand with us by donating today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Thank you for \u200cyour support!<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ron-desantis-bans-student-organization-florida-campuses-support-terrorist-group\/\">Ron DeSantis Bans Student Organization on Florida Campuses for Support of Terrorist Group<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How do you distinguish between free\u2064 speech and material support for terrorism, especially \u2064in the context of college campuses?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  (@MaryMargOlohan)<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MaryMargOlohan\/status\/1548513364236174850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 25, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Deactivation of\u200d these groups is not\u2064 an arbitrary decision; it is a\u200b response to \u2062actions that cross the line from free speech to material support for terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2064distinction between free speech and \u2064material support for\u200d terrorism can be a delicate one, especially\u2062 on college campuses where activism and political\u200c engagement are encouraged and valued. Students have the right to\u200b express their views and engage in peaceful protests.\u2063 However, when that activism crosses the line into endorsing or actively supporting terrorist \u200borganizations, it becomes a matter of national security.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the evidence of their support \u2064for terrorism \u2063is clear. Their response to \u200cthe Hamas attack, which resulted in\u2062 the deaths of innocent civilians, was not merely one of solidarity or condemnation. They explicitly identified themselves as \u2062&#8221;the resistance&#8221; and affirmed their involvement in the movement. This\u200c goes beyond free \u2062speech and enters the realm\u2063 of material support for terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the SJP&#8217;s long-standing support for the BDS movement \u200dfurther \u2063demonstrates their stance against Israel. While criticism of a\u2064 country&#8217;s policies or political actions is permissible, promoting a\u2062 movement that seeks to delegitimize and economically harm a state crosses the line into hostility and potential discrimination.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2063decision to deactivate SJP groups in Florida&#8217;s\u2063 state-funded\u200d schools is not a violation of free speech, but\u200b rather a necessary response to \u2062actions that align with Florida&#8217;s laws against providing material support \u2062to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-senators-demand-biden-immediately-stop-negotiating-with-iran-after-terror-attacks-on-israel\/\" title=\"Dozens Of Senators Demand Biden Immediately Stop Negotiating With Iran After Terror Attacks On Israel\">designated foreign terrorist organizations<\/a>. Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and Governor Ron DeSantis have a responsibility to protect the safety and security of their constituents, including \u2063students on college campuses.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is important to\u200c note that this decision does raise valid concerns about balancing free speech rights and national security. It \u200dis crucial to ensure that\u2064 any decisions \u2064regarding the deactivation of campus organizations \u2064are made based on evidence of material support for terrorism and not simply as a\u2064 means of \u200bsilencing dissenting voices or suppressing activism.<\/p>\n<p>Colleges and universities play a vital role\u200d in fostering intellectual diversity\u2064 and promoting open\u200d dialogue. \u200dStudents should be encouraged to express\u2062 their\u2063 views, challenge established ideas, and \u2064engage in peaceful activism. However, when that activism crosses\u200b the line into endorsing\u200b or supporting terrorism, it is necessary \u2064to take appropriate action to protect the campus community and uphold the values of safety and security.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the deactivation of Students for Justice in Palestine groups \u200bin Florida&#8217;s state-funded schools is not a violation \u2062of free speech, but a response to\u200c actions that go beyond peaceful protest and enter the realm of material support for terrorism. While it is crucial to\u200d protect free speech rights on\u200c college \u2063campuses,\u200d the line \u2064must be drawn when activism aligns with designated foreign terrorist organizations. The decision made by Chancellor Ray Rodrigues \u2063and\u2062 Governor \u200bRon DeSantis reflects a commitment\u200c to the safety and security of their constituents, and the maintenance of a campus environment that fosters \u200cintellectual diversity and \u2063open dialogue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When does campus activism cross the line from free speech to aiding terrorism? It is reasonable to argue that this occurs when activists explicitly state their intention to join terrorists, rather than merely expressing solidarity. If they distribute a toolkit to support the terror group, it further blurs the distinction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":663,"featured_media":2079938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2079937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2079937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2079937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2079937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2079938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2079937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2079937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2079937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}