DeSantis seeks to ‘deactivate’ pro-Palestinian student groups in Florida

Governor accuses of undermining free speech after move against Students for Justice in Palestine in wake of Israel-Hamas war

A pro-Palestinian student group said Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate, was seeking to undermine free speech rights by moving to “deactivate” its chapters in the state university system, over its response to Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s strikes on Gaza in response.

“Governor DeSantis continues to disrespect American values such as freedom of speech to extend his political power,” the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) told the Tampa Bay Times.