Pro-Palestinian students sue University of Michigan over free speech issues
NBCDEC 2024
Univ. of Michigan Faces Lawsuit Over Pro-Palestinian Protest Response
Above: Pro-Palestinian protestors at the pro-Palestine encampment of the University of Michigan in May 2024. Image copyright: Adam J. Dewey/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Students must stand up for their right to express their opinions in a peaceful manner in educational spaces. Michigan's heavy-handed response — even after students were found innocent of wrongdoing by disciplinary panels — violates decades of school policy. The school must be held to account.
Right narrative
Universities have the right to make sure their environments are safe, and these protests have turned many campuses into disruptive and dangerous areas. Students' First Amendment rights end when they cross into supporting terrorist groups and inspiring on-campus violence — especially when its against one particular group of students.