DeSantis orders colleges to shut down pro-Palestinian student groups

Florida's state university system, in conjunction with GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, this week ordered the shutdown of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters across the state after the group vocally supported the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

"Based on the National SJP's support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said, per Reuters. SJP, he noted, deemed itself part of the "resistance" effort and cited state law barring the provision of support to terrorist groups.

The shutdown order has attracted scrutiny of civil rights groups, who argue it violates the First Amendment. The Florida ACLU further deemed the order unconstitutional and said that Tallahassee "is simply silencing ideas it doesn't like."

The Oct. 7 Hamas raid saw terrorists storm out of the Gaza Strip, overrun Israeli border towns, take 199 hostages, and inflict many civilian casualties. The Israel Defense Forces have since launched counterstrikes on the Hamas-controlled region in preparation for a possible land invasion.

The conflict threatens to escalate into a broader war and has already witnessed cross-border exchanges between Israel and its northern neighbors, Syria and Lebanon. The White House confirmed this week that is was preparing "contingencies," including possible evacuations of Americans across the region.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have materialized across the Middle East, in Europe, and in the United States, heightening concerns of possible terrorist activity.

Ahead of President Joe Biden's planned visit to Jordan to meet with Middle Eastern leaders to discuss the hostilities, Jordanian authorities canceled the meeting amid large-scale demonstrations in the capital city of Amman.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.