The Disabled Student Union is happy to hear that the Student Association Executive Board has vetoed F2425-R4: “Support for NYS Assembly Bill A10057A/Senate Bill S9867 and Advocacy for its Inclusion in the Student Code of Conduct,” and thus upheld equal access to protest, prevented policing of marginalized groups and preserved our right to privacy and protection of our health and safety. However, we would still like to bring attention to the fact that the initial request for the administration to abandon our current Student Code of Conduct and ban masks at public assemblies is a dangerous, ableist effort.

The resolution states its purpose is to “prohibit the use of hoods, masks, and other facial coverings to conceal identity during lawful and unlawful assemblies or riots, while safeguarding personal protective equipment during public health emergencies and attire worn for religious observance.” Regardless of one’s political stance, to intimidate any students out of protesting by imposing health risks and limiting privacy in the name of “accountability” is unconstitutional. We urge students to attend the next Congress meeting, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., to speak out against any possible attempts to overturn this veto.

By ignoring the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and raising the risk for transmission of any illnesses, there is a restriction on our First Amendment right to protest. According to the World Health Organization, “As of 21 July 2024, over 775 million confirmed cases and more than seven million deaths have been reported globally since the beginning of [the] pandemic,” which is an extreme underestimation due to low rates of detection and testing. COVID-19 is still a significant risk, disproportionately affecting immunocompromised and disabled students. Repeat exposures increase the likelihood of developing Long COVID, a disabling condition that affects the entire body. Even with vaccinations and booster shots, masks keep us and our communities safe.

Although the resolution includes a medical and religious exemption, this is insufficient because the vague wording cedes an excessive amount of power to enforcers. All students should have equal rights to peacefully protest without fear of harassment, questioning or punishment. Students would be forced to disclose their disabilities, infringing upon their privacy, dignity and autonomy, as well as contradicting the Americans with Disabilities Act. Legally, no one is obligated to reveal or justify their disability, even to law enforcement. The resolution is part of a growing attack on the disabled community’s right to exist in public. For example, in Nassau County, police can interrogate individuals who wear masks in public spaces. As citizens, we should be able to protect our health and retain our bodily autonomy without questions or repercussions, even while protesting.

Without criticizing the lack of diversity of the voting sponsors, there is still hypocrisy of the SA, as this violates their own words in the SA Constitution, which states that “The Student Association cannot have rules or undertake actions which discriminate against, or give preference to, anyone on the basis of … disability, ethnicity … nationality, political belief, race, religion…” In reality, this bill is a corrosion of civil liberties and is an implicit attack on privacy for anti-Zionist students, as many may choose to protest anonymously — reasonably so, as activists have faced death threats and doxxing and last spring, pro-Palestinian protesters received letters threatening academic sanctions.

Supporters assume that any face covering indicates “unlawful behavior” and blatantly aims to suppress forms and parts of “political speech” by criminalizing students who choose to wear masks, keffiyehs and bandanas. This resolution could have fueled anti-Arab and Islamophobic rhetoric by politicizing the apolitical hijab or niqābs, forcing students to prove their faith for exemptions and further enabling discrimination and surveillance of an already vulnerable group. Additionally, allowing for the conflation of a keffiyeh — a traditional Arab headdress, now a symbol of resistance and a celebration of Palestinian culture — as a harbinger for hate speech and labeling all anti-Zionist expressions as antisemitic undermines the complex nuances of both political speech and individual identity.

DSU is a proud member of the Divest from Death coalition and stands in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian movement at Binghamton University. We’d like to thank the Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for Justice in Palestine and the student body for their quick efforts through petitions and letters to administration.

With the ongoing atrocities, we must recognize how disabling this genocide has been for the Palestinian people. By also recognizing the interconnectedness of the fight for disabled and Palestinian autonomy, freedom and empowerment, we work toward collective liberation. Protesting is a foundational practice in disability activism and justice, and the inclusion of disabled protestors is essential to any movement. In the future, resolutions, bills and any policy affecting disabled students need to have diverse, disabled representation present.

The Disabled Student Union is an organization for disabled students and allies focused on education, advocacy and community.

A Letter to the Editor is an opinion column published in response to a column or article previously published. This is DSU’s response to news coverage on 10/10 titled “What happened at Tuesday’s SA Congress meeting,” which has since been updated in a 10/14 article titled “SA E-Board vetoes two resolutions passed last Tuesday.”

Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.