Latest news with #pro-Palestinian
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Judge pauses IU protest policy, says it likely violates First Amendment
An Indiana University policy enacted in response to pro-Palestinian protests will be paused after a federal judge ruled the policy may be violating students' First Amendment rights. IU revised its "expressive activity" policy in mid-2024 to ban overnight camping and use of structures, such as tents, without approval — hallmarks of the pro-Palestine protest movement. In response, the Indiana Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging the policy last August. In its complaint, the ACLU alleged the university policy violates the First Amendment and is overly broad. Judge Richard Young of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana agreed and granted a preliminary injunction May 29. "The Policy likely burdens substantially more speech than necessary to further the University's interest in public safety and thus lacks narrow tailoring," the preliminary injunction reads. "The Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Policy violates the First Amendment." During the 2024 spring semester, protesters established an encampment in Dunn Meadow for several months. The protests drew national attention, resulted in dozens of arrests and required 'extensive repairs' of the area. Under the now-halted section of the policy, students, faculty and staff could not engage in protests and other expressive activities from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. without permission. If violated, one could face a range of disciplinary actions, including suspension, expulsion, loss of university employment and a responsibility to pay for damages. "While IU supports everyone's right to protest, camping or using any item to create a shelter is not a permitted form of expressive activity," the university said in paid content published in the Herald-Times last fall. "This ensures campus safety and accessibility for all community members." IU did not provide a reaction to the injunction since the university does not comment on pending litigation, spokesperson Mark Bode said. The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Morning news wrap: Tharoor slams Colombia's reaction to Operation Sindoor; Trump's tariffs get temporary court approval amid legal setbacks & more
In today's news roundup, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised Colombia's condolence to Pakistan over casualties following India's counterstrike, emphasising India acted in self-defence. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump won temporary court approval to continue collecting tariffs despite a legal setback. In sports, Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into the IPL 2024 final with an emphatic win. At MIT, the student president Megha Vemuri delivered a bold pro-Palestinian speech condemning the university's ties to Israel. Lastly, a chemistry professor convicted of her husband's murder is challenging the autopsy report, citing her scientific expertise as the court considers her appeal. Shashi Tharoor slams Colombia's condolence to Pakistan, says India only acted in self-defence Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, part of an all-party delegation to Colombia, expressed disappointment over the Colombian government's condolences for those killed in Pakistan after India's May 7 counterstrike, saying, 'There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend.' He said India acted in self-defence following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. 'We were only exercising our right of self-defence,' he added. Tharoor also highlighted Pakistan's support for terrorists and showed images of uniformed Pakistani officials attending terrorist funerals. 'That is the extent of complicity…,' he said, stressing India's resolve through Operation Sindoor targeting terror bases in Pakistan and PoK. Read full story Trump's tariffs get temporary court approval amid legal setbacks US President Donald Trump received temporary court approval on Thursday to continue collecting tariffs under emergency powers, despite a ruling a day earlier that he exceeded his authority. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a stay on the trade court's injunction while the White House appeals. 'The request for an immediate administrative stay is granted… temporarily stayed until further notice,' the order said. The lower court ruled Trump unlawfully invoked the 1977 IEEPA. 'The reason that he chose IEEPA was he thought he could do this unilaterally without much oversight by Congress,' said lawyer Jeffrey Schwab. Read full story Virat Kohli says 'one more to go' as RCB storms into IPL 2024 final Virat Kohli's 'One more to go!' message summed up Royal Challengers Bengaluru's emotions after they crushed Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 to enter their fourth IPL final. RCB chased down 102 in just 10 overs in Mullanpur, with Kohli visibly pumped and hugging teammates before delivering the viral line. RCB, runners-up in 2009, 2011, and 2016, are now one win away from their maiden title. Phil Salt starred with an unbeaten 56 off 27 balls. Punjab, bowled out for 101, will get another chance in Qualifier 2. The final is scheduled for June 3 in Ahmedabad. Read full story MIT student president delivers bold pro-Palestinian speech at graduation At MIT's commencement ceremony, class of 2025 president Megha Vemuri delivered a powerful pro-Palestinian speech, criticising the university's ties to Israel. Wearing a red keffiyeh, Vemuri said, 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine.' She condemned MIT's research links with the Israeli military, stating, 'MIT is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.' Highlighting student votes to cut ties, she said, 'The MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide. ' Referring to Gaza, she said, 'There are no universities left in Gaza.' Her speech drew attention amid widespread campus protests over Gaza. Read full story 'I know impact of electrocution': Chemistry professor convicted of husband's murder challenges autopsy report in HC Mamta Pathak, a 60-year-old chemistry professor from Chhatarpur sentenced to 20 years for her husband's murder, is challenging the autopsy report, claiming her scientific knowledge disproves the cause of death. Arguing her own case, she told the Madhya Pradesh High Court, 'It's not possible to differentiate between electric and thermal burn marks' without chemical analysis. Her sentence is suspended as the court, hearing her 'with an open mind,' reserved its verdict. Mamta questioned the lack of expert inspection and absence of foul smell in the autopsy report, adding, 'I was in jail then,' when asked why key questions weren't raised earlier. Read full story
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'MIT wants a free Palestine': Indian-American student Megha Vemuri Israel's 'genocide' in commencement speech
At a politically charged commencement ceremony on Thursday, 's class of 2025 president Megha Vemuri, an Indian-American student, used her platform to deliver a bold pro-Palestinian message, sharply criticising the university's ties to Israel and calling on fellow graduates to take a stand. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Wearing a red keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, Vemuri addressed a crowd of graduates, families, and faculty, saying, 'You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine.' Her remarks came amid ongoing nationwide campus unrest over the war in Gaza and US university connections to defence and research institutions tied to the conflict. In her speech, Vemuri acknowledged the uncertainty gripping academia and the intense pressures faced by student activists. 'It is no secret that at this time, academic institutions across the country are shrouded in a dark cloud of uncertainty,' she said. 'There is a lot of fear in many of our hearts.' Vemuri pointed to MIT's research links with the Israeli military as a source of shame and moral conflict for the institution. 'The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with,' she said. 'This means that Israel's assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school.' She noted that both MIT's undergraduate body and its graduate student union had, in recent months, voted 'overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military.' 'You faced threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials, but you prevailed,' she told graduates. 'Because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide.' Referring to the destruction of higher education infrastructure in Gaza, Vemuri added: 'There are no universities left in Gaza. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.' The student leader concluded her address with a symbolic gesture, asking graduates to turn their MIT class rings so that the emblem faced outward—a tradition symbolising their move into the wider world. But her message was pointed. 'We carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it,' she said. 'MIT is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
'I left one conflict zone to enter another': Harvard's Jewish foreign students on Trump row
If President Donald Trump says he's punishing Harvard University to protect Jewish students, not everybody is convinced. More than 2,000 Harvard students identify as Jewish, and for some of those from abroad, Trump's rhetoric has stirred fear and uncertainty. "I thought when I left Israel I was leaving a conflict zone," PhD student Genia, 41, tells me. It's foreign students like her that fear becoming collateral damage in Trump's crackdown on some of America's most elite universities. After last week trying to strip Harvard of its ability to enrol international students, the Trump administration suffered a legal blow on Thursday when a judge indicated she would block the move while the case plays out in court. But the ruling is unlikely to deescalate the conflict between Trump and Harvard, an institution he accuses of being too left-wing and failing to combat antisemitism when pro-Palestinian protests have unfolded on campuses. "It's been hard. We've had guest speakers here saying my heritage and sacred texts should be decolonised, and questioning my existence" says Genia, who is studying psychology. She is halfway through her studies which focus on language acquisition in babies who are blind. She worries being sent back to Israel if the foreign ban prevails. "I do think that it is very important to learn to be uncomfortable and offended. But I think it should be applied to both sides... it's not been balanced. " "I've had two years of dealing with massive amounts of campus hostility and now we get this mayhem... it's not making things better." In a small backdown from its attempt to end the university's international student program, the government has given Harvard 30 days to prove it meets the requirements of enrolling foreign students. If the measure is ultimately allowed, it could deliver a devastating blow to the university, where more than a quarter of students are from overseas. There are no exceptions for Israelis or other international Jewish students. An order ostensibly designed to protect Jewish students like Genia appears to have put those from abroad in peril. It's led to accusations that President Trump has politicised antisemitism. Genia says: "I think that it is very important that we recognise that there is a distinction between what we want and what the US government probably wants." The university's president insists Harvard has taken major steps to tackle all forms of hatred, including antisemitism. Alan Garber says the cuts the Trump administration is imposing on the institution will "hurt" the country, not just Harvard, because academics were conducting research deemed "high-priority" by the government. Nitsan Machlis, 27, is about to graduate. Her family is here to see her walk the stage in her cap and gown. She is upbeat but that feeling had been missing for a while. "For the first time in a long time, I feel very proud to be a student at Harvard. Harvard has been under immense pressure by the Trump administration, and the institution has shown it is making decisions with integrity to defend its academic freedom and to not bow down to the power grab," she says. "The university still has a lot to prove and do when it comes to tackling antisemitism" she adds, "but I'm proud with what President Garber is saying and doing." Another Israeli at Harvard - who works as a research fellow – is concerned about the Trump administration's approach. The 38-year-old didn't want to be identified as she weighs up her future.. "I see that Harvard is really trying to address the problems... but you cannot change a culture and problems. These are not Harvard specific problems, and they're not even problems of the American elite. These are big problems in the world and it does not take a week, or a day, to solve them." She draws parallels with her home country and adopted country "Israelis have been experiencing democratic backsliding in a very intense way and I think we should be the first to recognise what's going on here in the US." Harvard Professor Steven Levitsky goes further. He has spent decades studying authoritarian governments and believes that President Trump is using antisemitism as a cover to bring elite education under his control. "We're the biggest fish. We're the most prominent, most prestigious, and also the best university in the country. So if you want a single representative of higher education to take a whack at, Harvard is the obvious target," he tells me. "If the Trump administration is able to bully Harvard into acquiescence, then it knows that no other university will be able to stand up to it." Reflecting on experiencing antisemitism throughout his life, he says: "I've never seen or experienced antisemitism here at Harvard. And so the kind of the notion that we have a serious problem that requires federal intervention, as a Jew who's lived here for 25 years, I can tell you it's laughable." But this ongoing battle threatens to leave Harvard in a different place even if the school is successful in its fight. Many international students say they're already looking to build their academic future elsewhere, while others who have graduated say they plan to take their skills to countries outside of America. Additional reporting by Eva Artesona Judge blocks Trump's effort to restrict foreign students at Harvard - for now US halts student visa appointments and plans expanded social media vetting Students say they 'regret' applying to US universities after visa changes
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Judge pauses IU protest policy, says it likely violates First Amendment
An Indiana University policy enacted in response to pro-Palestinian protests will be paused after a federal judge ruled the policy may be violating students' First Amendment rights. IU revised its "expressive activity" policy in mid-2024 to ban overnight camping and use of structures, such as tents, without approval — hallmarks of the pro-Palestine protest movement. In response, the Indiana Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging the policy last August. In its complaint, the ACLU alleged the university policy violates the First Amendment and is overly broad. Judge Richard Young of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana agreed and granted a preliminary injunction May 29. "The Policy likely burdens substantially more speech than necessary to further the University's interest in public safety and thus lacks narrow tailoring," the preliminary injunction reads. "The Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Policy violates the First Amendment." During the 2024 spring semester, protesters established an encampment in Dunn Meadow for several months. The protests drew national attention, resulted in dozens of arrests and required 'extensive repairs' of the area. Under the now-halted section of the policy, students, faculty and staff could not engage in protests and other expressive activities from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. without permission. If violated, one could face a range of disciplinary actions, including suspension, expulsion, loss of university employment and a responsibility to pay for damages. "While IU supports everyone's right to protest, camping or using any item to create a shelter is not a permitted form of expressive activity," the university said in paid content published in the Herald-Times last fall. "This ensures campus safety and accessibility for all community members." IU did not provide a reaction to the injunction since the university does not comment on pending litigation, spokesperson Mark Bode said. The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@ or message her on Signal at @ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Judge pauses IU protest policy, says it likely violates 1st Amendment
