{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "National Campaign for Justice",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/just-strategy",
"title": "Let NYU Law Students Take Their Finals Without Signing Away Their Rights",
"thumbnail_url": "https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg",
"description": "Thirty-one law students at New York University are being punished for participating in peaceful sit-ins at NYU’s Bobst Library and outside the dean’s office, raising their voices against Israel’s assault on Gaza. Their protests were non-violent, well within the bounds of free speech and civic engagement. And yet, NYU’s response has been nothing short of authoritarian: the students were labeled "personae non grata," banned from campus, and told they cannot sit for final exams unless they sign a contract pledging not to protest. At one of the most elite law schools in the country, students are being told they must choose between their rights and their education. This so-called “Use of Space Agreement” is a gag order, a document that forces students to give up their rights to speak out in order to enter buildings, use facilities, and complete coursework. This is not about maintaining order. This is about punishing students for expressing unpopular views. NYU claims protests are allowed, but the minute those protests are pro-Palestine, the rules change. That’s not “neutral enforcement.” That’s targeted political repression. We must take action before NYU’s shameful precedent spreads. Universities across the country are watching what happens next. If NYU gets away with this, others will follow, and student protests will become a privilege instead of a right. Click ‘START WRITING’ to tell NYU President Linda Mills: Drop the gag order. Restore access. Let these students take their exams, no contracts, no coercion.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/nyu-law-students-take-finals"
}