DATE: March 19, 2025
Agudath Israel of America strongly supports the passage of this bill, which ensures the preservation of freedom of speech and assembly against any attempts to silence those rights through harassment, disruption or any other means.
Recently, and especially since October 7th, when the terrorist group Hamas infiltrated Israel and committed horrific atrocities, there has been a large uptick in the suppression of ideas and expression both on college campuses and in other public areas. There, people are often met with chanting and other disruptions simply because others do not agree with what is being expressed. This form of intimidation is unacceptable and needs to be addressed.
The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right of freedom of speech and assembly; however, this does not include using one’s speech to take away the speech of another and intimidating those around them.
During the same period, we have seen an alarming rise in acts of antisemitism in universities across the country. Speakers have been heckled off stages, demonstrators spat at, and students blockaded in libraries simply because they were Jewish. In fact, according to the ADL, 73% of Jewish college students experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. The passage of this bill would significantly help block these acts from continuing to plague our universities and streets.
We therefore strongly support this bill and urge its passage.
Click HERE to download the memo.