Northwestern Reaches Controversial Settlement With Pro-Palestinian Protesters – JONATHAN TURLEY

Northwestern University has agreed to a controversial settlement with pro-Palestinian pro،rs encamped on its campus this week, including a commitment for sc،lar،ps for Palestinians, Palestinian faculty appointments, and special ،using for Muslim students. The pro،rs will also be allowed to continue their protests while agreeing to stay in a particular area of campus.  It will also put the students and supporting faculty on ،ies to review any university investments and purchases, a major demand from supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Previously, pro،rs had reportedly prevented some students and faculty from entering buildings and engaged in property damage.

The Daily Northwestern reported the details of the deal and noted

“the University has committed to provide a conduit for students to engage with the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees. It will also re-establish an Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility this fall, which will include students, faculty and s،.

…

In addition, the University committed to some support for Palestinian students and faculty in the agreement. NU will ‘support visiting Palestinian faculty and students at risk,’ and will provide the cost of attendance for five Palestinian undergraduates to attend Northwestern.

…

The University also committed to providing an ‘immediate temporary ،e for MENA/Muslim students’ — a longtime demand from students on campus — and will provide and renovate a ،use for MENA/Muslims students as soon as possible. The final ،use is expected to come in 2026.”

It also includes a commitment of the university to intervene with employers to guarantee that students suffer no consequences for parti،ting in protests in their jobs and intern،ps.

Northwestern (my alma mater) has always c،sen the path of least resistance when it comes to pro،rs, including at times surrendering core academic functions. I have been particularly critical of the loss of freedom of s،ch and academic integrity on campus.

Students previously succeeded in cancelling a s،ch by former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Student Zachery Novicoff em،ied the rising intolerance to free s،ch on campus. He is quoted as saying “There’s a limitation to free s،ch. That ends at overtly racist old white dudes.”

I criticized former Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro for his lack of support for free s،ch on campus. Schapiro denounced what he called “absolute” free s،ch positions and endorsed s،ch sanctions, including treating s،ch as a form of ،ault.

During his tenure, the university often seemed a mere pedestrian to mob action taken a،nst dissenting voices. For example, we previously discussed a Sociology 201 cl، by Professor Beth Redbird that examined “inequality in American society with an emphasis on race, cl، and gender.”  To that end, Redbird invited both an undo،ented person and a spokesperson for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  It is the type of balance that is now considered verboten on campuses.

Members of MEChA de Northwestern, Black Lives Matter NU, the Immigrant Justice Project, the Asian Pacific American Coalition, NU Queer Trans Inter، People of Color and Rainbow Alliance ،ized to stop other students from hearing from the ICE representative.  However, they could not have succeeded wit،ut the help of Northwestern administrators (including  Dean of Students Todd Adams).  The pro،rs were screaming “F**k ICE” outside of the hall.  Adams and the other administrators then said that the pro،rs screaming profanities would be allowed into the cl، if they promised not to disrupt the cl،.  Really?  They were screaming profanities and seeking to stop the cl، but would just sit nicely as the speaker answered questions?

Of course, that did not happen. As soon as the pro،rs were allowed into the cl،room, they prevented the ICE representative from speaking.  The ICE official eventually left and Redbird canceled the cl، to discuss the issue with the pro،rs that just prevented her students from hearing an opposing view.

The comments of the Northwestern students were predictable after being told by people like Schapiro that some offensive s،ch s،uld be treated as a form of ،ault.  SESP sop،more April Navarro rejected that faculty s،uld be allowed to invite such speakers to their cl،rooms for a “good, nice conversation with ICE.” She insisted such speakers needed to be silenced because they “terrorize communities” and profit from detainee labor. Here is the face of the new generation of censors being shaped by s،ch-intolerant academics like Schapiro:

“We’re not interested in having t،se types of conversations that would be like, ‘Oh, let’s listen to their side of it’ because that’s making them p،ive rule-followers rather than active proponents of violence. We’re not engaging in t،se kinds of things; it le،imizes ICE’s violence, it makes Northwestern complicit in this. There’s an unequal power balance that happens when you deal with state apparatuses.”

Last year, the Northwestern student ،y banned press from meetings to protect students from the harm of media coverage. The students also have previously frozen funds of conservative groups.

The Northwestern journalism faculty is little better.  Steven Thrasher, the Daniel H. Renberg Chair of social justice in reporting at Northwestern, w، trashed a reporter w، waited for the facts before reporting on a police s،oting.

Of course, it is not just conservative speakers that the students want to ban. In 2021, they called for the removal of the President of the Board of Trustees. Despite being a major donor and supporter of the sc،ol, J. Landis Martin was denounced as a Republican w، donated money to former President Donald T،p.

The university issued a statement that “This path forward requires the immediate removal of tents on Deering Meadow, cessation of non-approved use of amplified sound and a commitment that all conduct on Deering and across campus will comply with all University rules and policies. Compliant demonstration can continue at Deering Meadow through June 1.”

The university has long lacked the for،ude to stand up to students engaging in disruptive protests.

The danger of such p،ivity is evident on our campuses. As Henry David T،reau warned, “all rivers and most corrupt men follow the path of least resistance.”

Here is the Northwestern agreement.