“I am concerned that some of the law enforcement actions at a number of universities appear disproportionate in their impacts,” he said.
Turk also criticized “anti-Semitic conduct and speech”, warning that it is “totally unacceptable and deeply disturbing”. One of the accusations against some of these acts is that they have this character. The students insist that the center of the protest is the war in Gaza.
For the UN, “the anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian conduct and speech are equally reprehensible.”
“Incitement to violence or hatred based on identity or views – real or perceived – must be strongly repudiated,” he said. “We have already seen that this dangerous rhetoric can quickly lead to real violence,” he highlighted.
For him, however, this “conduct can and should be dealt with individually, and not through comprehensive measures that impute the unacceptable views of some to all members of a protest.”
“Here, as elsewhere, responses from universities and law enforcement authorities need to be guided by human rights laws, enabling vibrant debate and protecting safe spaces for all,” he insisted.
According to him, any restrictions on freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly must be strictly guided by the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. “These standards must also be applied without discrimination,” he added.
