The Florida state university system, in collaboration with Governor Ron DeSantis, has issued an order to shut down chapters of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a pro-Palestinian student organization. This makes Florida the first U.S. state to outlaw the group, citing its national leadership’s alleged backing of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
The State University System of Florida announced on Tuesday that it would dismantle SJP chapters, framing this action as part of a wider effort to crack down on campus demonstrations that, in the view of the Republican-led state, provide “harmful support for terrorist groups.”
The system’s Chancellor, Ray Rodrigues, explained the decision in a memo to university leaders, saying, “Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated.” According to Rodrigues, SJP has a presence in at least two Florida universities.
Two of the universities known to have SJP chapters are the University of Florida and the University of South Florida, as indicated by their Instagram sites.
Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have escalated in U.S. universities since Hamas’ attack on October 7th and Israel’s subsequent siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The National SJP’s public support of Hamas’ attack and its call for a “day of resistance” on October 12th, with demonstrations scheduled at over 200 colleges in the United States and Canada, drew criticism from university administrators.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who is also a White House candidate, has taken a hard-line stance against Palestinians. He has suggested that Gazan civilians should be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases hostages taken during its attack.
The decision to ban SJP in Florida is based on a “toolkit” issued by the national organization to its chapters, which referred to Hamas’ attack as “the resistance” and claimed that “Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement.” In the memo, Rodrigues emphasized that the National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas’ attack, and under Florida law, it is considered a felony to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Florida’s move to shut down SJP chapters has stirred debate and raised concerns about freedom of expression and association on college campuses in the state. The development is likely to be closely watched, as it sets a precedent for how other states may deal with similar issues in the future.
