April 29th it was announced that the French government wants to "dissolve" Urgence Palestine May 7th; there is a rapidly growing petition in opposition at: agir.urgence-palestine.org/appelsoutiens/12/ ; it doesn't say that it is limited to French citizens; for more information on this and other domestic anti-Palestinian actions by the French government see: samidoun.net/2025/04/stop-the-dissolution-of-urgence-palestine-take-action-now-to-confront-frances-complicity-in-genocide/ The anti-fascist group Jeunes Gardes also faces dissolution.
From the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network April 30th (linked above):
"Stop the dissolution of Urgence Palestine!
End the genocide in Gaza and throughout Palestine!
Stop the aggression against Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and the people of the region!
Haiti won, Algeria won, Vietnam won, and Palestine will win!
Victory to the Resistance!
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
We urge all in France and around the world to stand with Urgence Palestine.
- Sign on to the Urgence Palestine collective statement against dissolutions: https://tiny.cc/stopdissolution
- Demonstrate at a French embassy, consulate, or Alliance Française (official government representative of French cultural activities) in your area against the dissolution and repression — and against France’s ongoing complicity with Zionist genocide throughout occupied Palestine. Use the signs below!"
It is as if the ADC email about House Resolution 867 just vanished from my inbox.
Contact your members of Congress through: support.adc.org/a/hr867 –
Stop Congress from Selling Out and Criminalizing Your Individual Freedoms—Oppose H.R. 867
Washington is ready to undermine your First Amendment rights to placate Israel and its leaders. Stand firm against any attempt to strip away our individual freedoms, and to silence Americans. Complete the quick action below and tell your elected officials to oppose HR 867.
H.R. 867 Criminalizes Boycotts
Seeks up to 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines for those participating in boycotts against Israel — even if it's just sharing information online.
Creates a “Blacklist”
Requires an annual roll call of nations and organizations critical of Israel, driving fear into anyone brave enough to speak out.
Grants Washington More Power
Hands Washington bureaucrats with questionable loyalties the authority to further punish students, activists, and nonprofits for free speech—an assault on our individual freedoms and American sovereignty.
Why This Matters—Right Now
H.R. 867 is an insult to everything we believe in. It trades away your right to speak up for what's right—merely to curry favor with foreign leaders. If this bill becomes law, you could be treated like a criminal for exercising the very individual freedoms afforded to you in this country.
Don't let Congress and foreign interests decide what you can say or do. Defend your freedoms today.
Sent out the evening of May 2nd:
ADC Statement: Killer of Wadee Al-Fayoumi Sentenced to 53 years
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[Re-posting:
Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | May 2, 2025 - Earlier this afternoon Joseph Czuba was sentenced to a 53 year prison [sentence] after being found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of 6 year old Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. While the sentence will not bring back Wadee, it does bring justice to Hanan, the extended family of Wadee, and the entire community.
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, “Today we remember Wadee, and recommit ourselves to honoring his life and legacy. This sentencing brings closure to the case, and a measure of accountability and justice to a tragedy that has shaken our community. We must come together to ensure that tragedies fueled by anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian hate, and Islamophobia are never accepted as the norm in our society. We thank all those involved who worked to bring justice for Wadee. We also thank Hanan for leading and displaying incredible strength, courage, and grace since the tragic incident occurred.”
ADC calls on community members, public officials, and all people of conscience to stand with us in condemning the alarming surge of hatred that resulted in the untimely death of Wadee Al-Fayoumi, and all attempts to erase, censure and dehumanize Arabs and Palestinians here in the U.S. and abroad. ADC will continue to fight for justice, accountability, and policy changes that protect our community from all threats.
ADC would like to thank the offices and leadership of CAIR Chicago, the Muslim Civic Coalition in IL, Attorneys Johnny Simon, Lana Nasar, and Attorneys Ben Crump and Nabeha Shaer from the Ben Crump Law Office, for their work on behalf of Hanan. ADC also thanks the entire Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim population of Chicagoland for their leadership.
Our work is far from done, and ADC stands ready to continue this fight until all of us—regardless of religion, race, or national origin—can live free from fear. If you need our assistance, please call the ADC Legal Hotline at 844-ADC-9955 for immediate support and assistance.]
Originally posted at: adc.org/umichigan/
On International Workers’s Day, Former University Employees Sue The University of Michigan For Wrongful Termination & Blacklisting Because They Expressed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice
May 1, 2025
Contact: Liz Jacob, ljacob[at sugarlaw org], (313)-993-4505 | John Philo, jphilo[at sugarlaw org] | Valentina Pereda (ADC) vpereda[at adc org]
ON INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’S DAY, FORMER UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES SUE THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOR WRONGFUL TERMINATION AND BLACKLISTING BECAUSE THEY EXPRESSED PRO-PALESTINE SPEECH
One full-time employee and seven student employees were terminated by the University of Michigan solely for attending pro-Palestine protests on non-work time and outside of their jobs.
ANN ARBOR – On May Day, The Sugar Law Center and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee filed a federal lawsuit to protect the Constitutional and civil rights of workers whom the University of Michigan terminated and forever barred from future employment because they participated in pro-Palestine protests on the University’s campus. After attending a peaceful on-campus sit-in to call for the University’s divestment from Israel or participating in an impromptu demonstration on public sidewalks to call on Regents to meet with students and support divestment, workers were targeted by the University with adverse employment actions.
After speaking out in support of Palestinian human rights, eight workers – one full-time employee and seven student workers – were fired from their employment and permanently blacklisted from future employment for the entire University of Michigan system. The lawsuit alleges that the University’s actions violate the student workers’ First Amendment right to Free Speech and their Fourteenth Amendment right to Due Process. Further, the lawsuit states that these adverse employment actions are yet another attempt from the University of Michigan to unconstitutionally punish pro-Palestine protesters at the Ann Arbor campus.
“On May 3rd, 2024, I joined hands with members of the campus community outside the University of Michigan Art Museum to call on the regents to speak with us about divesting from israel’s genocide on Gaza. After the Regents refused to address the students and community members of the University, University Police pepper sprayed and assaulted us. Then, eleven months later, I and other workers were fired from our university employment and blacklisted as punishment for calling for divestment,” said Eaman Ali, a plaintiff and undergraduate student at University of Michigan. “The University of Michigan Regents are attacking our right to free speech so they can avoid accountability for their complicity in genocide. Despite their attempts to punish workers and paint the pro-Palestine movement as violent, we know that the real violence is the university’s insistence on funding the mass murder of Palestinians.”
“Sadly, the University of Michigan is trying to resurrect an old but previously discarded tactic of firing and blacklisting workers whose viewpoints they don’t agree with. By all accounts, each of our clients was a dedicated employee performing necessary work for the University” said John Philo, Executive and Legal Director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice. “University officials and Michigan’s Attorney General have taken many seemingly coordinated actions to undermine the free speech of pro-Palestine protesters on campus. It is critical that we fight back against these attacks on our Freedom of Speech. The University’s shameful and unconstitutional attempts to silence viewpoints by firing student workers and forever barring them from any future employment must be reversed.”
“There is a nationwide assault on freedom of expression if you support the rights of the Palestinian people. The contempt for the constitutional rights of pro-Palestine advocates should be offensive to anyone who values their right to speak” said Chris Godshall-Bennett, National Legal Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “The government, whether federal, state, or a public university, cannot punish you because they don’t agree with you, even if you work for them. We will not cede these rights and those who violate them will be held to account.”
“By firing workers as a means to suppress speech it disagrees with, the University of Michigan violates their rights both as citizens and as employees,” said American Federal of Teachers- Michigan President Terrence Martin. “The Michigan labor movement stands with all workers on campus. We will always fight to uphold free speech and conduct that is protected by the First Amendment, and we’re especially alarmed that the University is prepared to violate state labor law by refusing to bargain the termination of a member of our union.”
“The University of Michigan claims to value activism, political engagement, and dissent. But when that free speech addresses the genocide in Palestine, the University is quick to rewrite its rules,” said attorney Ezra Ritchin. “Much like the Trump administration, the University policed, punished, fired, and blacklisted those who bravely spoke out in support of Palestinian life and freedom.”
The Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys John Philo, Liz Jacob, and Tony Paris at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, Chris Godshall-Bennett at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and attorney Ezra Ritchin.
About the Sugar Law Center
The Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice is a national non-profit, public-interest law center. Sugar Law Center provides legal advocacy, representation, education and technical support to workers and communities seeking systemic change toward economic and social justice. For more information on the Sugar Law Center, visit www.sugarlaw.org.
Originally posted at: adc.org/utaustin/
ADC, MLFA, Webber Law, and Project TAHA File Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Against UT-Austin, TX Governor Greg Abbott, and Other Officials Over Arrests of Pro-Palestine Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
media[at adc org]
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Austin, TX — Today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), Texas Governor Greg Abbott, UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, officers of the University of Texas Police Department (“UTPD”), and officers of the Texas Department of Public Safety (“DPS”). Joining ADC as co-counsel are the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Webber Law, and Project TAHA. The Plaintiffs contend that the defendants orchestrated mass arrests, employed physical intimidation, and imposed punitive disciplinary actions on peaceful pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024.
The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, accuses Governor Abbott and UT Austin officials of intentionally suppressing pro-Palestine speech, in violation of the First Amendment and Title VI. Officers enforced an “arrest quota” and arrested peaceful protesters without probable cause, employing excessive crowd-control tactics that included tackling students, zip-tying them so tightly as to cause bruises and numbness, and forcibly removing a Muslim student’s religious head covering. Even after criminal charges were dropped for lack of probable cause, UT Austin administrators imposed retaliatory disciplinary measures—academic holds, suspensions, and threats of harsher sanctions—to deter future demonstrations.
UT Austin violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Palestinian students and those associated with them. The plaintiffs, who include current and former UT Austin students, assert they suffered physical injuries, lived in fear of further punishment, and were directly targeted based on anti-Palestinian bias.
ADC seeks the following relief for the affected students:
- Declaratory Judgment that officials violated Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights.
- Reversal of Disciplinary Actions against student protesters.
- Compensatory and Punitive Damages for physical, emotional, and academic harm.
- Attorneys’ Fees and Costs under 42 U.S.C. § 1988.
“This lawsuit is about more than a single protest; it’s about safeguarding two of the most sacred rights in our democracy—free speech and peaceful assembly,” said ADC National Executive Director, Abed Ayoub. “Standing beside these courageous students means defending the very pillars of our Constitution and preserving the ideals that define us as Americans. Their bravery in the face of intimidation exemplifies the best of who we are, and this monumental case will help ensure that our fundamental liberties remain strong for generations to come.”
“These plaintiffs demonstrated extraordinary courage by speaking out against the genocide in Palestine—a choice that lies at the heart of our American tradition of dissent. State officials responded by brutalizing and arresting them with the explicit goal of suppressing their speech,” said ADC Legal Director, Chris Godshall-Bennett. “What happened at UT Austin is but one example of the attacks on student activists’ rights that paved the way for the escalation we are seeing today. We have not forgotten what was done to these students and the officials responsible must be held to account.”
Christina Jump, Civil Litigation Department Head, Legal Division of MLFA, said, “Texas’ political leaders claim to support the First Amendment, and even passed a state law mirroring the First Amendment–specifically as to college campuses—in 2019. But they’ve shown they only uphold that freedom where it applies to viewpoints that align with their own. We proudly join the ADC in representing these students who suffered from that biased application of Texas’ own laws, as well as its outright violations of federal statutes. Free speech rights matter, for all groups and viewpoints, equally. Texas forgot that point.”
Chelsea Glover, Civil Litigation Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Division of MLFA, said, “We are proud to join ADC in representing students whose rights were violated solely because they spoke out to support Palestinians. UT is a public university bound by the First Amendment and Civil Rights Act, and Greg Abbott cannot commandeer a school to enforce his preferred perspective.”
Maria Kari from Project TAHA added, “This case is about justice—plain and simple. Our plaintiffs represent the best of what our democracy promises. Their courage must be celebrated, and their suffering must be addressed. The harm inflicted on them must be acknowledged, and those who orchestrated this assault on their constitutional rights—especially their First and Fourth Amendment protections—must face the consequences. The law is clear: peaceful protest is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Key Allegations
- Viewpoint Discrimination
The lawsuit asserts that Governor Abbott and UT Austin officials intentionally suppressed pro-Palestine speech. Plaintiffs claim that officers operated under an “arrest quota,” as revealed by internal communications and overheard statements. - First Amendment Violations
Plaintiffs engaged in peaceful, constitutionally protected assembly on campus. According to the lawsuit, officials ordered mass arrests without probable cause, used overzealous crowd-control methods, and imposed disciplinary measures designed to chill future speech.
- Viewpoint Discrimination
- Title VI Violations
The complaint alleges that the defendants’ actions were also motivated by anti-Palestinian animus in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- Unlawful Arrests
The complaint describes how multiple officers tackled students, tightened zip ties to the point of causing bruises and nerve injuries, and removed religious head coverings from Muslim women. Plaintiffs stated they posed no threat and complied with law enforcement directives. - Retaliatory Campus Discipline
UT Austin administrators continued to penalize protesters after Travis County dropped criminal charges for lack of probable cause. The lawsuit describes how officials imposed academic holds, suspended students, and threatened harsher sanctions if they appealed these outcomes.
Plaintiffs
- A second-year UT Austin student. Officers slammed her to the ground and zip-tied her so tightly that she experienced numbness in her hands.
- A recent UT Austin graduate. Officers tackled her face-down and pressed a knee on her neck, leaving bruises and nerve compression injuries in her wrists.
- A recent UT Austin graduate. Multiple officers forcibly grabbed and zip-tied her arms after she warned others to clear the area.
- A third-year UT Austin student who wears a hijab. Officers removed her hijab during arrest and left her with painful welts from tight zip ties.
Legal Claims
- Count I: Violation of the First Amendment (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
Officials targeted students for their pro-Palestine views, silencing their speech and arresting them without legal cause. - Count II: First Amendment Retaliation (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
- Officers arrested protestors because they expressed pro-Palestine views.
- Count III: Fourth Amendment Unlawful Seizure/False Arrest (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
Officers arrested protesters without probable cause and restrained them with zip ties that caused physical harm. - Count IV: Violation of Title VI (42 U.S.C. § 2000d)
Officials targeted students for their association with Palestinians.
ADC remains committed to ensuring that every person can exercise their rights to free speech and peaceful assembly—the bedrocks of our democracy. This lawsuit reaffirms our dedication to defending the Constitution from any attempt to stifle dissent. We applaud these students’ courage and call on institutions and communities across the country to protect civil liberties. We urge the public to follow this case closely and to join us in championing the principles that strengthen our democracy.
Sent out in afternoon May 1st; slightly edited:
Breaking: We are suing Gov. Abbott of Texas for targeting of our students
May 1, 2025
Dear [ ],
I am writing to let you know that ADC just filed another case in federal court, this one is against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Police officers who violently targeted and attacked our students at the University of Texas-Austin. This is the third lawsuit filed by ADC within the past few weeks as part of our continued commitment to protect our community. As an organization that is funded by community and for community, this work is only possible because of support from members like you.
The actions taken by Governor Abbot and the defendants pose serious threats and concerns to the rights of all Americans. Make no mistake – Governor Abbott and others value the interests of Israel over the protected constitutional rights of all Americans. We will not sit by idly during this unprecedented attack on our First Amendment rights in this country.
One year ago this week, officials ordered a violent crackdown of a planned and peaceful sit-in at the University of Texas. – Austin Police Officers enforcing an “arrest quota” designed for splashy media headlines arrested peaceful protesters without probable cause, employing excessive tactics that included tackling students, zip-tying them so tightly as to cause bruises and numbness, and forcibly removing a Muslim student’s hijab.
This lawsuit is a culmination of an extensive and joint effort with our co-counselors, the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), Webber Law, and Project TAHA. We are seeking reversal of any and all disciplinary actions against the students, as well as compensatory and punitive damages for the physical, emotional and academic harm inflicted on the students by the defendants.
In mid-March of this year ADC filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of an international student targeted by the U.S. State Department for his pro-Palestine speech, and just last week ADC filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Palestinian American who was brutally tazed and beaten by Los Angeles area police simply for being an Arab American.
The work is not done. Our legal department is working on additional lawsuits which will be filed in the coming weeks. None of this can happen without your support. I am asking that you consider making a contribution to these efforts today and help us continue working on your behalf.
In solidarity,
Abed A. Ayoub
National Executive Director
More from Reuters: Students sue Texas university, governor over Gaza protest arrests
About ADC
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice. |
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