A Statement from a number of NGOs On US Campus protests

This statement has been drafted by the Organization for Defending Victims of Violence and has been endorsed by the subsequent non-governmental organizations and institutions following the recent incident in the American universities:

The mass killings of over 34,000 people in Gaza, predominantly women and children, along with the blockade imposed by Israel that resulted in the displacement and starvation of over a million Gazans, has sparked widespread demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinian people on university campuses throughout the United States including Columbia University, the University of Texas, and Emory University. These peaceful assemblies and legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression and the students' calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US military assistance for Israel and university divestment from arms suppliers, have faced harsh crackdowns including mass suspensions, evictions from university housing, and arrests of students, professors, legal observers, and journalists covering these events. Since April 18, more than 700 protesters have been arrested on US campuses, with nearly 200 arrests occurring just on Saturday. The police have used even chemical irritants and tear gas to disperse protests, with officers equipped in riot gear and mounted on horseback forcefully dispersing demonstrations at the University of Texas. There are even videos of officers knocking professors to the ground for just trying to support the students.
The use of police force to break up these protests has been criticized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) executive director Afaf Nasher, who argued that the oppressive measures undermine academic freedom. Civil rights advocates and NGOs, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch, have also raised concerns about the mass arrests and their impact on freedom of speech.
The right to peaceful assembly enshrined in Article 20 of UDHR and Article 21 of ICCPR guarantees the individuals freedom to express their dissent on government policies. Criticism of the actions or policies of the Israel is not anti-Semitic in itself and should not be used as a pretext to shut down such protests.
As NGOs devoted to the promotion of Human Rights, it is our duty to demand the lifting of suspension and protection of fundamental freedoms for the US students. The United States should cease its unconditional support of the Israel which according to several UN officials and experts is committing genocide and other international crimes in the besieged Gaza.

1) Organization for defending victims of violence (ODVV)
2) Family Health Association of Iran
3) Medical Support Association for Underprivileged Iranian Patients
4) Humanitarian Ambassadors NGO
5) Jameh Ehyagaran Teb Sonnati Va Salamat Iranian
6) Imam Ali Charity Institution
7) Peivande Gole Narges Organization
8) Maryam Ghasemi Educational Charity Institute
9) Rahbord Peimayesh Research & Educational Services Cooperative
10) Hazrat-e Fatemeh Zahra Charity Institute
11) The Society for Recovery Support
12) Association of Iranian Short Statured Adults
13) Successful Family friendly Association
14) International Assembly of Women of Monotheistic Religions
15) International alliance of jurists for Palestine
16) Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture
17) L'observatoire français des droits de l'homme
18) Horan Rencontre Rencontre pour la citoyenneté
19) L'institut international pour la paix la justice et les droits de l'homme
20) Syrian Medical Committee
21) Protection des défenseurs des droits de l'homme dans le monde arabe (PADDH)
22) The International Humanitarian Society for Development Without Borders
23) The Palestinian Democratic Woman Organisation - NADA
24) Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
25) Federation National Des Syndicats Des Ouvriers Et Des Employes Au Liban
26) Center for Peace and Reconciliation Studies (Dr. h.c Mehmet Sukru Guzel)
27) Arab Union for Human Rights
28) Together for Human Rights
29) Step for Human Rights
30) The International Commission to Support the Rights of the Palestinian People “Hashd”
31) Newroz social and cultural association
32) Jin women association in Lebanon
33) Center for defence of Liberties
34) The Europian Alliance of the Solidarity with the Palestinian Detainees
35) The Committee of Captives and freedpeople in P.F.L.P
36) Interfaith for Palestine
37) Hikmat Darras
38) Karama for wrights and liberations
39) Helping hands fonundation
40) Ali abo hemela

41) تحالف الحقوقیین من أجل فلسطین ترکیا
42) المرکز العربی لحقوق الإنسان والسلام الدولی المملکة الأردنیة الهاشمیة
43) للجنة القانونیة فی المؤتمر الشعبی لفلسطینی الخارج فلسطینی الخارج
44) الملتقى الدولی للقدس أمانتی ترکیا
45) مرکز قبة الصخرة للإعلام
46) منیر رشید عضو الأمانة العامة للمؤتمر الشعبی الأردن
47) الائتلاف التربوی الفلسطینی فلسطین
48) الجمعیة الوطنیة لحقوق الإنسان الأردن
49) مرکز یافا للدراسات فلسطین
50) د. مصطفى محمد نصراللهمحامی ورئیس الجمعیة الوطنیة لحقوق الإنسان الأردن
51) جامعة الاستقلال فلسطین
52) کلیة الهندسة والبترول – جامعة الکویت – الکویت
53) المؤتمر الشعبی لفلسطینیی الخارج لبنان – بیروت
54) أکادیمیة دراسات اللاجئین
55) مرکز الیقظة لحقوق الإنسان لندن
56) مؤسسة نجدة لحقوق الإنسان لندن
57) حقهم الولایات المتحدة
58) المرصد العربی لحریة الإعلام لندن
59) الشبکة المصریة لحقوق الإنسان لندن
60) مؤسسة التضامن لحقوق الإنسان جینیف
61) منظمة افدی الدولیة لحقوق الإنسان بروکسل
62) هیومن رایتس مونیتمور لندن
63) جوار لحقوق الإنسان
64) مؤسسة إنسانیة لحقوق الإنسان
65) أطباء من أجل القدس )نقابة الأطباء الأردنیة( الأردن
66) منظمة نجدة لحقوق الإنسان
67) المنتدى العالمی للوسطیة فی کوردستان العراق
68) محامون من أجل العدالة المغرب
69) منتدى الکرامة لحقوق الإنسان المغرب
70) حزب النهج الجدید المملکة الأردنیة الهاشمیة
71) مؤسسة صوت حر فرنسا
72) جمعیة حراس الحقوق ترکیا
73) جمعیة تنمیة المرآة الأفریقیة ترکیا
74) منتدى الحقوقیین الجزائریین الجزائر
75) لجنة الشؤون الدولیة لفلسطینی الخارج عمان – الأردن
76) مؤسسة المجلس العربی فرنسا