The Intercept on Sunday revealed that New York University School of Law has imposed sweeping restrictions on 31 students involved in pro-Palestine demonstrations, barring them from campus facilities unless they agree to refrain from any further protest activity.

The students, who have been labeled "personae non grata" (PNG), were told they must sign a "Use of Space Agreement" in order to access buildings during the law school's final exam period.

"You may not participate in any protest activity or disruptive activity on Law School property," the agreement states, effectively requiring the students to relinquish their right to protest as a condition for returning to campus.

Campus crackdown

The students facing sanctions participated in sit-ins on March 4 and April 29, held at Bobst Library and near the dean's office. Though sit-ins are defined as a permitted form of protest under NYU's policies, the administration cited noncompliance with public safety orders and disruption as the grounds for disciplinary review. According to emails reviewed by The Intercept, the students are under investigation for failing to vacate the protest areas when instructed.

"This is a complete violation of our campus norms," said NYU sociology professor Andrew Ross, who was previously subjected to similar restrictions before they were later revoked. "If you take a step backward and see the walled-off campus spaces and heavily-patrolled entrances to buildings... this is a very, very exceptional violation of every kind of campus norm that we were accustomed to."

Selective suppression

Students involved say the rules are being applied selectively to target pro-Palestine activism. One law student who received a PNG notice stated, "The school's policies are vague and arbitrary enough to be wielded in any situation against any kind of speech the university looks down upon, particularly pro-Palestine speech." Another student said, "The school explicitly outlines sit-ins as permitted. But as soon as they don't like the sit-in or protest happening, they tell people to stop and... hand people policies on ‘failure to comply.'"

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They also point to previous protests that did not result in similar punishment. A 2015 Black Lives Matter die-in and a fossil fuel divestment sit-in at the same library location were both tolerated. "There have been dozens of sit-ins in campus libraries since October of 2023, with no punishment meted out," one PNG student said. "The truth is that no site or forum is acceptable to the university when it comes to pro-Palestine speech."

Rights denied

Some of the affected students were denied access to housing, health services, and even religious spaces like the Islamic Center during Ramadan. Others missed critical appointments, including gender-affirming care. Faculty members have criticized the administration for failing to follow due process. "The law school does seem to be making up its own rules right now," said English professor Sonya Posmentier.

NYU has enlisted the services of law firm Latham & Watkins to support its ongoing investigation. The university argues it is still conducting a "preliminary factual inquiry" to determine how to proceed, insisting that formal disciplinary procedures may not yet apply.

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