When students are passionate about a cause, they will use whatever tools at their disposal to promote it. They may hold teach-ins, pass out fliers, and organize rallies both on and off campus. And, although they can be disciplined if their protests disrupt classrooms or other school activities, students are protected from censorship by the First Amendment.
But, as student activism grows more intense and tactics become more dramatic, universities are struggling to balance free speech with safety and inclusivity. With more demonstrations involving sit-ins, building takeovers, and encampments, many schools are deploying police to break up these events. This is raising concerns about police overreaction and impacting students.
Student activists are largely inspired by historic movements like the antiwar protests of the 1960s, and they’re using tactics like building occupations and mass rallies to grab headlines and push universities into action on issues like racial justice and the Israel-Hamas conflict. They’re also embracing social media to help them better organize and share their messages faster and farther. This is a big change from previous generations who were more likely to attend lectures and use traditional media, such as newspapers and radio.
These changing times have led some colleges to review their policies on protest and public demonstrations. And while most colleges have reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, it’s important for students to know what those rules are before they participate in a demonstration. They also need to be aware that their actions may be photographed or filmed and that images and videos can be posted online without their consent. International students and scholars should be especially cautious about posting any content online, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may consider perceived antisemitic activity when reviewing benefit adjudications.