The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned Pomona College’s forcible suppression of student activists’ free speech during an on-campus sit-in for Palestine and urged the administration to protect the first amendment rights of its students.
SEE: Nineteen California college students arrested over pro-Palestine protests
SEE ALSO: ‘I can’t focus on anything but rage.’ Pro-Palestinian protests roil elite Pomona College – LA Times
On Friday, April 5, student members of the Pomona Divest from Apartheid coalition held a peaceful demonstration in Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr’s office to call on the school to support the students’ majority vote to divest from companies that invest in or aid Israeli apartheid. In February 2024, the Pomona College student government voted to divest all school investments from Israeli apartheid, which President Starr opposed.’
The college administration deployed some 30 police officers, including a dozen in full riot gear, in response to the sit-in. Nineteen students were arrested, jailed, and served an immediate suspension from the college.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Policy Manager Basha Jamil said:
“We are deeply concerned about Pomona College’s forcible suppression of the First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly through its militarized response to student protests calling on the administration to divest from Israeli apartheid. All students should feel safe expressing their views and engaging in their right to assemble peacefully. Yet what we are seeing in Pomona follows a similar pattern of suppression of pro-Palestine activism happening on college campuses across the country, with students being harassed, criminalized, and maligned for expressing solidarity with Palestine.
“CAIR-LA stands in solidarity with the student activists at Pomona College. We call on the administration to immediately cease any further acts of violence and repression against them and meaningfully address their demands, including divestment from weapons manufacturers and institutions that support the Israeli occupation.”
CAIR-LA sent a letter to President Starr expressing concern regarding the school’s suppression of students’ first amendment rights. The letter calls on Pomona College to:
- Immediately drop all charges against the students.
- Revoke all suspensions.
- Issue a public apology for the administration’s unnecessary escalation of violence and use of police intervention.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com