A batch of anti-Palestinian flyers that read “Nuke Gaza” and “Kill Roaches” found on the Princeton University campus is being investigated as a bias crime by the Princeton University Department of Public Safety.
The small flyers were discovered outside an entryway to Spelman Hall around noon Sept. 6, according to The Daily Princetonian. The person who found them scooped up the flyers and contacted the campus police department.
The Princeton University Department of Public Safety logged the interaction as a harassment/incident, the Princeton University student newspaper said. It is believed to be the first potential bias incident against Palestinians publicly reported on campus since students returned to campus for the fall semester.
The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the flyers, and welcomed Princeton University’s investigation into their source. CAIR-NJ also called for disciplinary measures against the persons who distributed them.
“Seeing these flyers on a college campus is extremely troubling,” said CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut. “The Muslim and Arab students must feel reassured that their safety is a top priority for the university.”
Complaints of discrimination, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate surged during the first six months of 2024 as compared to the same time period in 2023, according to CAIR-NJ.
They documented 186 complaints between January and June 2024, which is a 118% increase over the first six months of 2023, Maksut said. Many of those complaints consisted of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bias and discrimination in school settings and the workplace.
