THREAD: Across the US, people advocating for Palestinian rights are facing a wave of McCarthyite backlash targeting their livelihoods and careers. In the last 2 weeks, Palestine Legal has responded to over 260 such incidents. Here’s what we’re seeing. 🧵
We have spoken to people being fired from their jobs for sharing social media posts or signing statements that support Palestinian human rights, including the revocation of our client Ryna Workman’s job offer from corporate law firm Winston & Strawn, LLP. theintercept.com
We have written to universities including Harvard demanding that they protect students being severely doxxed and harassed by anti-Palestinian vigilante groups like Canary Mission and Accuracy in Media on campuses. cnn.com
Meanwhile, a chorus of Wall Street executives say they won't hire any students who have signed statements in support of Palestine, and are pressuring universities to punish students for exercising their First Amendment and free speech rights. nytimes.com
We’ve spoken to professors who are being questioned, whose classes are being canceled and are being locked out of their emails for supporting Palestinian rights or who have faced calls for removal.
We're seeing award-winning novelists and writers get their events canceled for signing statements in support of Palestinian rights, including 92NY’s cancelation of an event with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen. npr.org
We’ve spoken to Palestinian and Arab students at K-12 schools facing bullying and censorship, including a highschool student in Frankfort, Illinois, whose school officials told Palestinian students to stop wearing keffiyehs—scarves that are a Palestinian national symbol.
We’ve documented violent assaults and death threats against pro-Palestinian protestors, and Israel supporters brandishing or firing off guns, chanting “death to Arabs” at counter-protests and calling for the wiping out of Gaza–—echoing the genocidal language of Israeli officials.
Our partners at @adc have also documented a disturbing uptick in law enforcement visits to Palestinian and Muslim community members, and we have documented arrests and trumped up charges for speaking out and protesting for Palestinian rights.
Last week, the Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel, capitulating to threats from hate groups, unilaterally canceled the @USCPR_’s upcoming conference, and @CAIRNational had to move its banquet because of bomb and death threats to the hotel. uscpr.org
NEW: For more info on some of these incidents, read @alexbkane’s excellent piece in Jewish Currents featuring our senior staff attorney @radhikasainath: “A ‘McCarthyite Backlash’ Against Pro-Palestine Speech” jewishcurrents.org
If you are meeting with elected officials, employers, or institutional leaders share our letter signed by 600+ legal community members to insist they take immediate action to address racist and unlawful attacks against advocates for Palestinian rights. palestinelegal.org
The movement for Palestinian freedom won’t back down, and we’ve got your back. We’re inspired by activists like these Harvard students declaring their unflinching support for Palestinian freedom, in spite of the repression.
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TOMORROW: A national walk-out coordinated by @wearedissenters and @NationalSJP to demand:
1. Universities DIVEST from the weapons manufacturers which arm Israel's genocide of Gaza and 2. an END to the siege on Gaza and U.S. funding to Israel.
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1. Universities DIVEST from the weapons manufacturers which arm Israel's genocide of Gaza and 2. an END to the siege on Gaza and U.S. funding to Israel.
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