Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said support for free speech on college campuses is “diminishing” amid pro-Palestinian protests at universities across the country.
As part of his commencement address at Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Catholic university in Ohio, Alito said support for free speech has “dangerously declined.”
“Right now, some of our most fundamental principles are under attack in the world outside of this beautiful campus,” Alito said. NBC News first reported.
“Support for free speech has declined dangerously,” he said, adding that this is especially true on college campuses, where the exchange of ideas should be protected.
“Few universities live up to that ideal,” he said.
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, students at more than 400 universities across the United States, from the Ivy League to small colleges, are protesting, demanding that their schools divest from Israeli companies and companies with ties to Israel.
Alito, a Catholic, told the students that religious freedom was also “at risk.”
“When you go out into the world, you may find yourself under pressure in your work, community, or social settings to support ideas you don’t believe in or to abandon your core beliefs. “No,” he says. “It’s up to you whether you take a firm stand or not.”
The Supreme Court is expected to issue important decisions in the coming weeks on a series of important issues, including whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution and abortion rights.
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