ST. LOUIS – In response to the police breakup of a pro-Palestine protest which led to the arrest of more than 100 participants, the ACLU of Missouri issued the following statement:
“Washington University’s choice to stamp out pro-Palestine protests is a divorce from its long history of tolerance towards, and in some cases participated in, student activism on a range of issues that have redirected and reshaped the conscience of our Nation.
“In its efforts to silence students and other protestors, the university set up a direct confrontation between police officers and student activists. The escalatory tactics of law enforcement, which led to the physical breakup of the protest and arrests of more than 100 participants, chills, curtails, and restricts expression despite the university’s claims of commitment to that very principle.
“Schools must recognize that armed police on campus can endanger students and are a measure of last resort. Moreover, arresting peaceful protestors is likely to escalate, not calm, the tensions on campus — as events of the past week have made abundantly clear.
“No democratic government is above criticism from its citizens. Washington University and other campuses throughout the state are educating the next generation of people who will become leaders and scholars in their communities and should foster an environment to encourage the students to engage in our government and speak out when they believe its actions are contrary to our values both domestically and abroad. Few places are more important for the exercise of free and open expression than where young people gather and are educated.”
The ACLU released an open letter to all College and University Presidents. The full letter is available here.