A preliminary Amnesty International USA review of photos, videos and social media posts shows that at least 20 colleges and universities used excessive police force against pro-Palestinian protesters, including 17 who used chemical irritants and 11 who used projectiles with kinetic impact, better. known as rubber and plastic bullets. The review found at least 10 other institutions where protesters were injured during police raids.

The data point was shared in an open letter to college and university leaders signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International USA, and Human Rights Watch. In the letter, the three organizations called on administrators to respect students’ right to protest and warned against using force to break up demonstrations.

“Universities have a responsibility to protect both physical safety and free speech on campus, and that responsibility may, in very limited circumstances, involve calling the police. University administrators and police officers must ensure that coercive police power is used only as a last resort, after all other efforts have been exhausted, otherwise it will have the perverse effect of suppressing protests and exacerbating security risks.” it is shown in the letter.

“And universities should be fair and impartial in all their actions regarding campus protests, including the deployment of police. The police should not be called in simply to disperse protesters whose presence has become unwelcome to university administrators. A police presence can increase tensions and seriously undermine the potential of any resolution based on respect for human rights.”