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April 26, 2019

Roger Waters & Linda Sarsour Event on Backlash Against Pro-Palestinian Voices Faces Lawsuit, Protest
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The founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, is at the center of a growing
controversy over free speech on college campuses. Waters is scheduled to
speak on a panel titled 'Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech and the
Battle for Palestinian Rights' at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst on May 4 about the backlash against pro-Palestinian voices.
Other speakers include Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour, who
has faced death threats for her outspokenness, and Temple University
professor Marc Lamont Hill, who was recently fired from CNN for speaking
up for Palestinian rights. The event has sparked protests on campus. A
group of UMass students filed a lawsuit claiming they will "suffer
irreparable harm" if the event takes place. The Massachusetts Republican
Party and the Massachusetts Jewish Republican Committee have condemned
the event, claiming it is anti-Semitic. Another 80 groups have urged
UMass to pull its support for the panel. On Thursday, the university
announced the event will go ahead despite the protests, saying it is
committed to the principles of free speech and academic freedom.


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