Key takeaways:
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his decision to “deactivate” campus chapters of the advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on NBC’s “Meet the Press”.
- DeSantis argued that his decision was a matter of security, not free speech, and that he had a responsibility to ensure students were safe.
- The move has been met with criticism from some who see it as an infringement on First Amendment rights, while others have praised it as a necessary security measure.
On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to defend his decision to “deactivate” campus chapters of the advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). DeSantis’ Republican rival Vivek Ramaswamy had called the move “utter hypocrisy from someone who railed against left wing cancel culture.”
DeSantis pushed back on Ramaswamy’s comments, saying, “This is not cancel culture. It’s utter hypocrisy for someone who railed against left wing cancel culture.” When asked if he had any evidence for his claim, DeSantis said, “Their own words are saying they’re part of this organization that they don’t just stand in solidarity, that they don’t just advocate for Palestinian rights, but they advocate for the destruction of the Jewish state.”
DeSantis went on to explain that his decision to deactivate the SJP chapters was a matter of security, not free speech. He said, “We have a responsibility to make sure that our students are safe, and that we don’t have organizations that are advocating the destruction of a country that is a key ally of the United States.”
The governor’s decision to deactivate SJP chapters comes as Israel expands its ground offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7. The move has been met with criticism from some who see it as an infringement on First Amendment rights, while others have praised it as a necessary security measure.
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