DeSantis Cracks Down on Anti-Israel Protests, Threatens Expulsion for Florida College Students

Ron DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate for the 2024 race now serving as Florida’s governor, has announced that students participating in anti-Israel protests on state college campuses could face expulsion if their behavior becomes harassing, offensive or belligerent. This comes after several Ivy League schools and others such as Texas A&M University have been impacted by protesters taking over bridges, roads and encampments while intimidating the Jewish community in incidents which DeSantis labelled “absurd.” Schools like Columbia University, Harvard and Yale are among those affected. The governor said that demonstrators who disrupt college campuses violate appropriate conduct since people facing emergencies such as hospital runs may be hindered by road blockages during inconvenient moments while students pursuing degrees could get expelled for participating in the protests at Florida universities if they engage in harassment or intimidation of Jewish individuals. DeSantis criticized university presidents who he said were weak and scared because demonstrators continued carrying out anti-Jewish acts despite existing school codes meant to deter such activities, calling them “weak” and “scared.” The governor also called on authorities at other colleges nationwide to follow suit in order for the trend of intimidation by protesters against Jewish students not to continue.