Florida's university system, working with Governor Ron DeSantis, ordered colleges on Tuesday to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization, marking the first state to outlaw the group whose national leadership backed Hamas' attack on Israel.
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The State University System of Florida said chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had to be dismantled as part of a "crackdown" in the Republican-led state on-campus demonstrations that provide "harmful support for terrorist groups."
"Based on the National SJP's support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," the system's Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a memo to university leaders. SJP is active in at least two Florida universities, Rodrigues said.
The University of North Florida in Jacksonville and Florida State University in Tallahassee have SJP chapters, based on Instagram sites. The National SJP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students have led to harassment and assaults at US universities since Hamas' Oct.7 attack and Israel's siege and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Administrators at some universities criticized the National SJP after it called Hamas' attack "a historic win for the Palestinian resistance" and called for a "day of resistance" on Oct. 12 with demonstrations by its chapters at over 200 colleges in America and Canada.
DeSantis, a White House candidate, has taken a hard line against Palestinians, suggesting Gazan civilians be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases hostages it took during its attack.
In his memo, Rodrigues said National SJP identified itself as part of Hamas' attack and it was a felony under Florida law "to provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization."
The letter further accuses the National SJP of organizing a "Day of Resistance" and distributing a "toolkit which refers to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood [the name Hamas used for the massacre] as 'the resistance' and unequivocally states: 'Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement." Under official records, there are at least two institutions that have National SJP chapters on their campuses.
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