Dear Northeastern University Administration,

We represent a coalition of student organizations at Northeastern University, spanning a spectrum of interests. We write to express our condemnation of and disappointment in the University’s actions regarding recent events on our campus.

On Thursday, April 25th, pro-Palestine students started an encampment and established a liberated zone on Centennial Common, calling upon Northeastern to disclose its current financial investments, sever connections with Israeli companies and institutions that are contributing directly to the Gaza bombing campaigns, and denounce the ongoing genocide affecting the Palestinian people. On that same day, a Jewish Northeastern student and liberation zone participant was ambushed and arrested by NUPD while using the bathroom in Ryder Hall.

On the morning of Saturday, April 27th, at Northeastern’s request, about 100 (previous reports have varied from 98 to over 100) Northeastern students and allies were kettled and arrested by state police in riot gear. Northeastern administration promptly published a false narrative that members of the liberation zone engaged in hate speech early this morning to justify the arrests, when, in fact, it was counter protesters attempting to provoke the peaceful encampment. Northeastern has failed its community by spreading false information.

In truth, the encampment never tolerated hate speech, and instead fostered a safe environment for Jewish students protesting the inhumane killing of innocent civilians. Thursday evening, Jewish members were joined in solidarity as they held a Seder, a testament to the safe and accepting community established by the students.

Northeastern continued to escalate the situation by locking campus halls to prevent participants from using the bathroom and shutting off power on Centennial Common. Friday afternoon, police abruptly closed down Ryder Hall, disrupting the Animation Department’s capstone presentations and forcing all occupants to vacate with minimal explanation provided to the students or faculty regarding the reasons for this removal. In addition, police disregarded the safety of disabled and chronically ill participants by continuing to treat them violently even after disclosures of what would be harmful to them. Northeastern has a responsibility to keep its students safe and protect free expression, and its hostile response to peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable.

The response from both the University and the City of Boston toward these protestors was inadmissible. The University's statement condemning students and faculty for their participation failed to acknowledge the right of Northeastern community members to peacefully organize.

As students, we are committed to upholding the values of respect, understanding, and inclusivity that our university espouses. We firmly believe that peaceful protests and demonstrations are not only consistent with these values but are also essential for fostering a culture of active citizenship and social responsibility among students.

We urge the University to:

1. Cease any university disciplinary action towards the Northeastern students that participated in the encampment on Centennial Common during the dates of April 25-27.
2. Discontinue further arrests and disciplinary action towards those participating in the student encampment and future peaceful protests.
3. Retract and acknowledge the University’s official statements which created a harmful and untrue narrative of antisemitism within the student movement and commit to accurate and transparent messaging moving forward.
4. Recognize the distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism.
5. Engage with the liberated zone's demands regarding the need for disclosure and divestment with the understanding that administration is responsible for taking students' demands seriously.

Our goal is to ensure that Northeastern remains a safe space where every voice is heard. As we prepare for our future careers, we hope to take pride in our alma mater's commitment to justice and integrity.

The student code of conduct at Northeastern University states “students enjoy the same basic privileges and are bound by the same responsibilities as all citizens.” In solidarity with our fellow students, we call upon the University to uphold students’ rights to these same basic privileges, including the right to free speech and assembly as outlined in the student code of conduct (Northeastern University 2023-2024 Student Code of Conduct, p. 6).

Furthermore, it emphasizes that “The University supports the rights of University students to express their views and to protest actions or opinions with which there is disagreement. A university is where individuals express diverse ideas and viewpoints” (Northeastern University 2023-2024 Student Code of Conduct, p. 66).

This right to free speech without fear of University backlash is fundamental as it lies at the heart of our educational mission.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.

Sincerely,

A coalition of 151 student organizations

1. A-Space NU
2. Acting Out
3. Adopted Student Organization
4. ALPFA NU (Association of Latino Professionals for America)
5. Ambassadors For Change
6. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
7. Arab Students Association
8. Art4All
9. Artistry Magazine
10. Asian Student Union
11. Bioethics Bowl
12. Black Engineering Student Society (BESS-NSBE)
13. Black Islamic Association
14. Black Law Student Association (BLSA)
15. Campus Bee Society
16. Chinese Student Association
17. Code4Community
18. COExist
19. ColorStack@NEU
20. Critical Corporate Theory Lab
21. Cruelty Free Northeastern
22. Crystal Clear @ NU
23. DATA Club
24. Diversability
25. Divest
26. Eon Dance Troupe
27. END Initiative
28. Ethics Bowl
29. Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association
30. First and Foremost Literary Magazine
31. First-Generation Low-Income Student Union
32. Ganbei Zine
33. GENU-UAW
34. Goldies Dance Team
35. Green Line Records
36. Half Asian People’s Association (HAPA)
37. Health Humanities Club
38. HEAT
39. Her Campus at Northeastern
40. HGSA
41. Huskies Organizing With Labor (HOWL)
42. Illume Magazine
43. Indian Cultural Association
44. Islamic Society of Northeastern University (ISNU)
45. Japanese Student Association
46. KADA Kpop Dance Team
47. Kaliente Dance Group
48. Kappa Phi Lambda
49. Kinematix Dance Troupe
50. LGBTQ+, Latino American Association
51. Linguistics Club
52. Menstrual Equity Club
53. Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS)
54. Mixed Student Union (MSU)
55. MULTI
56. Multicultural International Students Association
57. Music in Hospitals and Nursing Homes Using Entertainment As Therapy (MIHNUET)
58. NAAD (Northeastern Acapella Association for Desi Music)
59. Net Impact
60. Network Science Graduate Student Association
61. NEU Animation Club
62. NEU Fiction Addiction
63. NEU Nakhraas
64. NEU Psyches
65. NEU Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc.
66. New England Bhangra Club
67. New Renaissance Theatre Co.
68. NOMAS (National Organization of Architecture Minority Students)
69. Northeastern Association of Gaming Enthusiasts
70. Northeastern Black Student Association (NBSA)
71. Northeastern Club Taekwondo
72. Northeastern COVID Response Project
73. Northeastern Employment & Labor Law Association (NELLA)
74. Northeastern Human Services Organization
75. Northeastern Recreational Climbing (NRC)
76. Northeastern Skate Club
77. Northeastern Student Garden Club
78. Northeastern United Against Inequities in Disease
79. Northeastern University Botanical Society
80. Northeastern University College Democrats
81. Northeastern University Feminist Student Organization
82. Northeastern University Global Public Health Brigades
83. Northeastern University Historical Association (NUHA)
84. Northeastern University Political Review
85. Northeastern University School of Law Abolitionist Learning Zone
86. Northeastern University School of Law Jewish Law Students for Justice
87. Northeastern University School of Law Students for Justice in Palestine
88. Northeastern University Tabletop Roleplaying Society
89. Northeastern University Television
90. Northeastern University’s American Medical Women’s Association
91. Northeastern Women’s Club Volleyball
92. Northeastern Women’s Rugby Club
93. NU AfroSpectrum
94. NU Barkada
95. NU Mural Club
96. NUPride
97. NUSCM
98. NU Shakespeare Society
99. NU SHARE
100. NU Sound
101. NUSJP
102. NUSL MESALSA
103. NUSL National Lawyers Guild (NLG)
104. NU UTSAV
105. Pakistani Student Association at Northeastern University
106. Pan Asian American Queer Alliance (PAAQA)
107. PawHacks
108. Philosophy Club
109. Pi Delta Psi
110. Politics, Philosophy, and Economics Club
111. Progressive Student Alliance - USAS Local 115
112. Queer Book Club
113. Rangila
114. Roxbury Robotics of Northeastern University
115. Sandbox
116. Science Book Club
117. Secular Humanist Society
118. SEDS Northeastern
119. Sexual Assault Response Coalition
120. Sikh Student Association at Northeastern (SSAN)
121. Silver Masque
122. Sisters in Solidarity
123. Slow Food NU
124. Soal Step Team
125. Sociology and Anthropology Student Association (SASA)
126. Somali Students Association (NEUSSA)
127. Spark* Contemporary Art Collective
128. Spectrum Magazine
129. Students Demand Action (Northeastern Chapter of Everytown/National SDA)
130. Sunrise
131. Super Smash Bros. Club
132. Survivor Northeastern
133. Tastemakers Music Magazine
134. TGNC
135. The Avenue Magazine
136. The Interrobang Poets
137. The Korean American Student Association
138. The Latin American Student Organization (LASO)
139. The Society of Asian Scientists And Engineers
140. The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
141. The Unisons
142. Transformation, Fitness, and Movement (TFM)
143. Trash2Treasure
144. Vietnamese Student Association
145. Weightlifting (NUWL)
146. Women in Economics
147. Women In Music Northeastern
148. Woof Magazine
149. WRBB Radio 104.9 FM
150. Young Democratic Socialists of America - Northeastern University