Events celebrating Israeli Memorial Day and Israeli Independence Day at two New York City colleges were canceled last month after school officials cited security concerns over planned protests, according to a legal letter sent last week by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment nonprofit, to the City University of New York (CUNY).
In May, Baruch College's chapter of Hillel, a Jewish campus organization, had planned to hold an Israeli Memorial Day and Independence Day event in the Hillel building's second-floor lobby. But when other students planned to protest the event, the Baruch College administration suggested alternate locations for the event, instead of offering additional security. Rather than change locations, the students decided to cancel the event.
