CPSA Statement on the National Student Protest Movement Around the War on Gaza

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2024

Media Contact:

Michael Suchecki, CPSA Communications Director
Michael.Suchecki@mail.house.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) leadership released the following statement in response to the national student protest movement around the War on Gaza:

“CPSA has always worked to amplify the voices of those unrepresented and underrepresented in the halls of Congress.

“As we watch students standing up, coming together, and speaking truth to power about the bombardment and blockade of Gaza, we see a generation of unheard voices rallying for justice in the same way civil rights and anti-war protestors have throughout American history.

“While some of these institutions may not have a legal obligation to allow for freedom of speech and assembly on their campuses, American higher education has a moral obligation to promote the free flow of ideas and to resist censorship and the spread of misinformation about and amongst their students.

“These campus protests come after months of resignations and demonstrations from Executive and Legislative Branch officials, including a historic demonstration by nearly 150 congressional staffers sitting on the Capitol steps holding flowers for every life lost in the conflict.

“Let us be clear: In these protests, as in any nonviolent movement, there is no room for hate, discrimination, or threats of violence. Simultaneously, these nonviolent protests cannot and must not be met with the heavy hand of law enforcement, as we have seen with select universities calling in militarized police units to violently arrest students and faculty in tents or holding sit-ins. Doing so flies in the face of the values these colleges and universities claim to uphold.

“The Congressional Progressive Staff Association unequivocally stands alongside these nonviolent student protestors and their efforts to raise the alarm about the complicity of both their colleges and of the United States in the War on Gaza.”

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CPSA was formed in 2021 to uplift the voices and experiences of progressive staff. We believe by educating people on the issues impacting staff and advocating for structural reform, we can inspire meaningful change for congressional employees across the country. With over 1,500 members, CPSA is the largest staff association on Capitol Hill and is growing every day.