On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) refuted claims that his efforts to eliminate pro-Palestinian organizations from university campuses in the state violate the principle of free speech.
After that, DeSantis stated that the matter was “not a First Amendment concern.”
“We’re not throttling free speech at all. I mean, these groups, Students for Justice [in] Palestine, they have said that they are in cahoots with Hamas.” DeSantis told Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade during a recent interview.
“They say, “We don’t just stand in solidarity,’ that this is, ‘We’re in cahoots with them. So, the state of Florida, through our universities, we cannot be subsidizing those groups. I mean, that’s basically providing material support for terrorism.” he continued.
Last month, Florida authorities issued directives mandating the dissolution of National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters on state universities and colleges.
Early last month, the national group was issued the order in response to the unexpected assault on Israel carried out by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have expanded to encompass college campuses in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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