Students are once again taking to the streets and campus encampments, with activism that is a reminder of how non-violent mass protest has spurred many policy changes in US history. Whether they succeed this time remains to be seen. But they should be fortified by the fact that successful protests have started with articulating a few essential national policy changes that resonate with ordinary citizens — for example, the need to redirect war spending to education and health, or the importance of ethical investments free of apartheid and military involvement.
Some of today’s most effective protesters are urging their colleges to divest from companies that do business with Israel or other unjust regimes, as well as to pay decent wages to the people who work in their dining halls and keep them safe on campus. This is a worthy goal, and one that will require vigor and commitment.
In addition, students must be aware that their schools must respect and protect their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly. While the courts have not yet ruled on how to balance the rights of protesters with the needs and security of a university, FIRE has written extensively about the need for colleges to limit their rules to those that are reasonable and related to protecting public safety.
This means that colleges must not prohibit all speech without a permit or outside areas of the school that are open to all, or prevent students from leafleting and petitioning in groups of any size on their own or with other organizations within a few feet of each other if they’re not interfering with classes, blocking people or traffic, or posing a direct threat. If a college restricts these freedoms in ways that are not reasonable, students should contact FIRE to report the policies.
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