72% of Americans believe students who participated in anti-Israel encampments should be punished: POLL
An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that students who participated in anti-Israel campus encampments should be punished.
An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that students who participated in anti-Israel campus encampments should be punished.
The poll, conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the NORC at the University of Chicago, surveyed 1,309 Americans between May 17 through 19 and found that a majority believes that tactics used by anti-Israel protesters this past spring went too far.
80% of those surveyed said that defacing school property is “never” an acceptable form of protest, as well as 68% for flag burning, 52% for occupying campus buildings, and 43% for establishing encampments.
While 72% believe that students who participated in encampments should be punished, they vary in what disciplinary actions should be taken.
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18% believe that students who participated in encampments should be expelled, 13% said they should be suspended, 16% said they should be placed on probation, 12% wanted written reprimand, and 13% thought community service was a fitting punishment.
Only 23% of those surveyed thought that the students shouldn’t receive a punishment.
Overall, 63% of Americans surveyed said the encampments had no impact on their level of sympathy for Gazans. 17% said the encampments made them less sympathetic for Gazans, and 16% said the encampments made them more sympathetic.
58% said that it’s “always” acceptable to create a petition and 55% said the same of holding a sign. Less than 10% of those surveyed said those activities are “never” acceptable forms of protest.
FIRE Chief Research Advisor Sean Stevens said the results aren’t surprising.
“It’s no shocker that Americans tend to disapprove of illegal and illiberal conduct by student protesters,” Stevens said. “But it’s alarming that a third of Americans say constitutionally protected and non-threatening activities like sign-holding or petitions are only ‘sometimes’ or ‘rarely’ acceptable. Nonviolent protest should always be acceptable on college campuses.”
