By: Maeve O’Brien
HUMBOLDT, CA – The ACLU of Northern California is advising universities such as Cal Poly Humboldt to avoid the involvement of law enforcement on campus student Gaza protests in order to reach peaceful resolutions, as noted in a recently released statement.
The ACLU encourages Cal Poly Humboldt to follow in the footsteps of campuses such as UC Berkeley and Stanford, who are reportedly supporting “student expression,” the released statement notes.
According to the ACLU, law enforcement is becoming a barrier to the fundamental protections and guarantees granted to individuals such as, “…the right to freedom of expression and assembly… the right to be free from unreasonable and excessive force at the hands of law enforcement…these rights apply universally regardless of one’s viewpoint, race, ethnicity, or religion.”
A Berkeley resident and member of the ACLU highlights growing concern with Cal Poly Humbolt’s approach to the campus protests and desire to promote university wide communication, stating in the ACLU press release, “My goals while in Humboldt will be to… establish connections with students, faculty, and members of the public, and open lines of communication.”
The ACLU NorCal said it motivation for student activism comes from a long history of institutional reform, referencing, “From the Great Depression’s longshoreman strike to countless other periods of activism and protest by workers, students, peace activists, and others, we have remained steadfast in safeguarding robust First Amendment rights.”
The ACLU statement offers additional resources for students to educate themselves on their legal rights and freedoms granting access to legal experts, legal departments, and links to online submission complaint forms.
