CAIR-CA Releases New Report Examining the Suppression of Students’ First Amendment Rights

(LOS ANGELES, CA – 3/6/2025) – The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) recently released a new report analyzing the deterioration of students’ First Amendment rights on college campuses across California.

“The Erosion of Free Speech on California’s Campuses” examines the history of student movements in the U.S. and how they paved the way for recent pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. It also highlights the growing restrictions imposed by government and university officials in an effort to crack down on protected speech.

Key findings from the report show that colleges and universities selectively enforce free speech policies and time, place, and manner (TPM) regulations to censor pro-Palestinian activism on campuses. TPM regulations include limiting noise levels, restricting signs on government property, or dictating protest times. At several universities across California, TPM restrictions were unequally enforced during student protests, and the degree of university or law enforcement intervention varied depending on the racial identity of the protesters.

The report also highlights how government and university officials are enacting new policies to restrict students’ speech and assembly on campus. In 2024, California State University chancellors introduced an interim systemwide TPM policy. The policy included bans on overnight demonstrations and overnight loitering, the disruption or interference with the speech of others (or engaging in ‘heckler’s veto’), and disguises or concealment of identity.

CAIR-CA’s report recommends several actions policymakers and university administrators can take to preserve students’ fundamental right to free speech and assembly on campuses. These include separating legitimate critique of Israel from protected definitions of antisemitism, rolling back TPM restrictions for student protests, and engaging with students in good faith.

In a statement, CAIR-LA Senior Policy & Advocacy Manager Aliya Yousufi said:

“College campuses are the foundation of social justice activism in the U.S., and Palestine is a crucial social justice issue. The backlash we have seen from college and university leadership to stifle students’ ability to advocate for an end to Israel’s illegal occupation in Palestine and genocide in Gaza is the height of hypocrisy—especially as students often replicate the non-violent demonstrations they learn about in their classes at these very schools. Instead of joining their students in raising awareness and bringing forth change, university administrators have doubled down on preventing students from exercising their constitutional rights. We cannot let that stand.”

SEE: Hostile: How Universities Target Anti-Genocide Protesters While Enabling Anti-Palestinian Racism and Islamophobia
https://islamophobia.org/special-reports/hostile-how-universities-target-anti-genocide-protesters-while-enabling-anti-palestinian-racism-and-islamophobia/

CAIR has designated several California colleges and universities as “institutions of particular concern” due to their creation of a hostile campus environment for Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish students, staff, and faculty opposing the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. These schools include the University of California, Los Angeles, Pomona College, and Stanford University.


CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. 


https://ca.cair.com/press-release/cair-ca-releases-new-report-examining-the-suppression-of-students-first-amendment-rights-on-college-campuses/