Top expert raises alarm over unfair treatment of pro-Palestinian protests in US campuses

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 11th May. UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed on Friday said that that the recent increase in student protest attacks across campuses in the United States indicates an “erosion of intellectual freedom and democratic principles within educational settings.”

“I am deeply troubled by the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, arrests, detentions, police violence, surveillance and disciplinary measures and sanctions against members of the educational community exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” Farida Shaheed said, in a statement at the end of an official visit to the US.

She said that she is particularly concerned by the way protesters are unfairly treated based on their political viewpoint – specifically pro-Palestinian protestors.

Ms. Shaheed visited Washington DC, Indiana and Colorado.

Her visit occurred with US students setting up encampments on campus grounds to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, call for a ceasefire, and in many cases demand that university divest any assets linked to Israel.

She said, “These attacks signal a concerning erosion of intellectual freedom and democratic principles within educational settings.”

Ms. Shaheed appealed the US Government to reiterate its core commitment to freedom of speech by ensuring all students have unrestricted access to diverse ideas and perspectives.

She expressed concern about 307 policies and educational gag order bills introduced in the US since January 2021.

“These policies, manifested through book bans and restrictions on curricula, have instilled a pervasive ‘chilling effect’ that stifles the free exchange of ideas and silences marginalized voices,” she said.

Ms. Shaheed found that underfunding in the US educational system paved the way for other systemic issues including teacher shortages and student mental health support challenges.

These educational funding disparities are worsened by over reliance on local property taxes, harming marginalized and low-income neighbourhoods.

She said, “Communities need to find a way to distribute funds more equitably between wealthier and poorer districts to end the cycle of deprivation and segregation.”

“I also urge the federal government to take decisive action to address disparities in educational funding,” she added.

She called on federal and state authorities to acknowledge education as a human right while ensuring fair access for all students irrespective of background or identity, level of income, place of residence or any other personal circumstance.

Ms. Shaheed mentioned that despite federal non-discrimination safeguards, school safety and police presence in schools in addition to standardized testing and students’ mental health, are all related but negatively affect people from marginalized and minority communities.

“It is crucial to remove police presence from schools and invest in qualified personnel such as counselors and social workers to create a safe and nurturing learning environment,” Ms. Shaheed said.

“It is time to shift the narrative, prioritizing holistic growth and social interaction skills over standardized testing results reducing students to mere numbers.”