Friend –

The right to protest is a central pillar of the First Amendment – a value that has shaped this country from the very beginning, and one that the ACLU will always defend.

Students have the right to advocate for the movements and causes they believe in. Recent protests on campuses across the country have sparked national attention – and even resulted in disturbing arrests of students and faculty speaking out about Palestine.

While private colleges and universities are not directly bound by the First Amendment, we're calling on all schools to remain firm in their commitment to protecting student activism, free expression, and peaceful dissent on campus.

As anti-war protests on campuses nationwide make headlines, we are reminding college and university officials that they must protect students from targeted discriminatory harassment and violence, but may not penalize people for how they talk about the war in Gaza. Read our open letter >>

ACLU Supporter, students and faculty must be free to express their political opinions outside of the classroom without fear of disproportionate punishment or censure. Free expression cannot be sacrificed as a response to campus activism.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has fought for the right to free speech. We hope that colleges and universities will join us by not only encouraging but protecting free speech, debate, and dissent on their campuses.

– The ACLU Team

P.S. If you or someone you know is planning on protesting, know your rights. Screenshot and share our guide to students' free speech on campus. (This link takes you to a third party website, instagram.com).