Northwestern University faces criticism over removal of Arab students' photos

A

pro-Palestinian campus group

at

Northwestern University

in Evanston, Illinois, has alleged that the

medical school

deleted

photos

of

Arab students

from multiple

social media platforms

. The images, taken at a school event earlier this year, included students wearing

keffiyehs

, which symbolise solidarity with Palestinians. These photos were deleted from Flickr, a photo-sharing site.
The university’s

Feinberg School of Medicine

also reportedly removed photos from its official Instagram page.

Students' organisation demand apology

The

Students for Justice in Palestine

chapter has demanded a public apology and an investigation into the removal. The group criticised the university, stating that Palestinian medical students and their families are being targeted for celebrating their achievements publicly.

University's explanation
University spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso said that the photos were removed to protect students from potential doxing, though it was not clarified if any students were actually doxxed or endangered, according to media reports. Anyaso emphasised that the decision was made out of concern for student safety and reaffirmed the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Previous incidents

Last November, three Palestinian college students were shot in Burlington, Vermont; one was paralyzed, and there were concerns that the incident might have been a hate crime.
Additionally, "doxxing trucks" displaying the names and faces of pro-Palestinian student demonstrators were seen on several campuses last fall.
The

Council on American-Islamic Relations

reported a record number of discrimination complaints in 2023, with a notable portion related to educational settings. Jewish students also faced a rise in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas attacks on October 7, according to the Anti-Defamation League.