Florida's university system has ordered colleges to shut down a pro-Palestinian student organization, marking the first U.S. state to outlaw the group whose national leadership backed Hamas' attack on Israel.
The State University System of Florida said chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had to be dismantled as part of a "crack down" in the Republican-led state on campus demonstrations that provide "harmful support for terrorist groups."
In a letter to the state's 12 university presidents, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said the group is violating Florida law.
"It is a felony under Florida law to 'knowingly provide material support... to a designated foreign terrorist organization...' § 775.33(3), Fla. Stat. (2019)," Rodrigues wrote in the memo, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News. "Here, National SJP has affirmatively identified it is part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood — a terrorist led attack."
Rodrigues went on to say SJP released a "toolkit" which refers to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel as "the resistance" and unequivocally states: "Palestinian students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement."
"Based on the National SJP's support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor [Ron] DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," Rodrigues said.
The university system is also working with DeSantis "to ensure we are all using all tools at our disposal to crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected First Amendment speech into harmful support for terrorist groups," Rodrigues added. He said possible action could include "necessary adverse employment actions and suspensions for school officials."
The University of North Florida in Jacksonville and Florida State University in Tallahassee have SJP chapters.
"Governor DeSantis continues to disrespect American values such as freedom of speech to extend his political power," the University of Florida chapter of SJP told the Tampa Bay Times. "To bend the law in this manner shows the utmost disrespect not only to any pro-Palestinian organization, but also to anyone who truly cares for political freedom and freedom of speech."
Rodrigues said students from the disbanded chapters will be allowed to form "another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies" if they choose.