PNN – The New York Times newspaper reported on the implementation of strict new rules and regulations in American universities after holding protests by supporters of Palestine last spring.
According to Pakistan News Network’s report from this popular American newspaper, after cracking down on pro-Palestinian student protests last spring, colleges and universities have tightened protest rules, locking campus doors and imposing tougher penalties.
According to the announcement of one of Harvard University’s research departments, following strict measures, American universities witnessed less than 950 incidents in the current semester, which shows a significant decrease compared to the 3,000 protests that occurred last semester. The number of people arrested this year has been announced to be nearly 50, which is remarkable compared to more than 3,000 people arrested last semester.
The strict measures at Harvard University, as one of the world-renowned educational centers, have attracted the attention of activists and researchers; after dozens of students and faculty members sat on the desks of the library in a peaceful protest against the Gaza war, this university temporarily banned them from entering the library.
Bloomington University of Indiana also placed protesting students who lit candles for the victims of the Gaza war under the new disciplinary law.
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“Pennsylvania” university officials and police officers also warned the students against any protest while holding “belt buckles” and warned of the consequences.
The New York Times stated that the main reason for these changes in university rules was to combat what it called anti-Semitism and added: The recent regulations come after some protesters praised Hamas and called for violence against Israelis.
Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors and an associate professor of media studies at Rutgers University, believes that these regulations and restrictions have caused people to fear.
He added: They feel they are being watched. I think there’s a lot of self-censorship going on.
At the same time, the newspaper acknowledges that the new restrictions are not the only reason for the decrease in protest activity this semester, and some protest groups continue to praise the October 7 attack by Hamas.
This media also points out that despite the drastic and strict changes in university regulations, with the administration of Donald Trump, this situation is likely to intensify and the efforts for more changes will be more widespread.
However, Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said he does not think Trump can make the university environment more hostile to anti-war protests.
In response to the question, will the Trump administration continue to suppress universities? Or not, he said: This situation prevails even now. The current situation is not because of the Trump administration. This prevailing situation is happening.