Protests at Columbia University continue as groups on both sides of the aisle call for action to be taken, university shifts to hybrid classes

[Tony72495]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/22/us/columbia-university-protests-hybrid-classes-passover-tuesday/index.html

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/columbia-university-hybrid-classes-pro-palestinian-protests-a242206d

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/us/columbia-university-remote-classes-protests.html

I'll be really interested to see where this goes and if this continues to escalate.

A basic summary of the situation seems to be that the protests started not too long ago, a sort of live-in encampment situation set up on campus for those doing both a general protest against Israel's war against Gaza, and also asking for Columbia University to personally divest any involvement with companies or benefactors that support Israel.

This escalated last week when admin at Columbia University called in the NYPD to clear out the encampment, and I believe multiple students were suspended for participation as well. Another similar protest escalated yesterday at NYU where over 130 people were arrested by the NYPD when their admin also called in the police to clear out the protestors.

Now, some staff and faculty are also taking part in Columbia's protests to stand in solidarity with its students, so the admin here really has the possibility of becoming public enemy #1 to nearly the entire staff and student base of the university, not exactly a great place to be in, especially if they try to escalate again and have staff punished for taking part.

This is all coming to a head as the Columbia University chapter of the American Association of University Professors may seek to censure some within Columbia's admin for their role in the protest crackdown.

On the other hand, you have some lawmakers saying that Columbia's real problem may actually be that they aren't cracking down hard enough, and may be able to face legal action for Title IX violations for perceived dangers and discrimination against Jewish students, as some have now taken to going home for the holidays or just staying off campus altogether due to tensions on campus or for their perceived safety.

You also have others claiming that in addition to cases of antisemitism on campus, there are off-campus extremists who are using the protests as an excuse to become involved and more vocal with explicitly pro-Hamas and anti-Jewish messaging.

For the time being, Columbia has shifted to a hybrid class structure for the rest of the semester to try to keep some semblance of a normal schedule and presumably offer a way for Jewish students to finish their schooling from the safety of their homes, but it's safe to say that for many, schooling isn't exactly at the forefront of their minds anymore.

 

[Ensorcell]

Anyone harassing Jewish students are not helping the Palestinian cause at all. They are only clouding the issue and giving cover to those committing genocide within Gaza. Then again, if students are harassing people based on ethnicity, the motivation isn't a humanitarian one anyway.

 

[nilbog]

Isra Hirsi, daughter of llhan Omar spoke to MSNBC about her suspension from campus there.


View: https://youtu.be/A6MbsDyR-m0?si=-lVmZNPnqnKMYtTG

 

[Fraktur]

here's an interview with the former and current editor of the columbus daily spectator:

What Is Really Going On at Columbia University? Not What You’ve Been Told.

Are Jews under siege on campus? “I think that's honestly ridiculous,” a prominent Jewish student said.

slate.com

 

[Tony72495]

Anyone harassing Jewish students are not helping the Palestinian cause at all. They are only clouding the issue and giving cover to those committing genocide within Gaza. Then again, if students are harassing people based on ethnicity, the motivation isn't a humanitarian one anyway.

Click to shrink...

It's a complicated scenario where there are almost certainly a number of people in both the "actually protesting" and "just want to harass" camps, and the problem is one of those groups is going to paint the entire protest one way or the other, depending on who reads the story.

 

[Volimar]

It's a complicated scenario where there are almost certainly a number of people in both the "actually protesting" and "just want to harass" camps, and the problem is one of those groups is going to paint the entire protest one way or the other, depending on who reads the story.

Click to shrink...

To say nothing of the people who act like the bad actors are permission enough to condemn or handwave the whole thing. It's all infuriating. Glad to see solidarity from students at other universities.

 

[Disclaimer]

I like how the focus is on the vague allegations and fears of antisemitism from a minority of bad actors rather than the fact that the administration is siccing the fucking NYPD on peacefully protesting students, many of whom are themselves Jewish and standing against genocide.

 

[hanshen]

It should be added that it took Columbia months to take action against the Pro-Israel student who sprayed pro-palestinian students with "skunk" chemical weapon.

 

[Buckle]

I like how the focus is on the vague allegations and fears of antisemitism from a minority of bad actors rather than the fact that the administration is siccing the fucking NYPD on peacefully protesting students, many of whom are themselves Jewish and standing against genocide.

Click to shrink...

Thats kind of been the main thrust of how any criticism of Israel right now is being handled becuase they think its like an easy button or get out of jail free card.

"Well, you're just being anti-semitic"

If the people who keep saying that actually cared about protecting ethnic groups, we wouldn't be doing everything in our power to deflect from a genocide of muslims by our allies (funded and armed by us) right now.

 

[PES]

Given that it's well documented that many of the organizers of the Columbia sit-in are Jewish and I couldn't find any concrete reports of cases of harassment or violence in this particular protest, I'm going to go out on a limb and call bullshit on the nebulous perceived dangers that lead to this police crackdown.

As it's been the case in in recent protests, we are just seeing a lot of fearmongering from disingenuous actors over anti-genocide and pro-Palestine liberation language and chants.

Hope the organizers continue to do a good job keeping everything under control as the protests grow.

Also if you want to laugh a bit there's been a few videos on Twitter of right-wing Zionist provocateurs going to these protests trying to stir the pot and nobody gives a shit so they just stand there looking "heroic". It's really funny.

 

[LegendofJoe]

I like how the focus is on the vague allegations and fears of antisemitism from a minority of bad actors rather than the fact that the administration is siccing the fucking NYPD on peacefully protesting students, many of whom are themselves Jewish and standing against genocide.

Click to shrink...

This is what's unacceptable about this situation, don't let the BS equivocation you see all over the place distract from this.

 

[BringBackSonics]

I like how the focus is on the vague allegations and fears of antisemitism from a minority of bad actors rather than the fact that the administration is siccing the fucking NYPD on peacefully protesting students, many of whom are themselves Jewish and standing against genocide.

Click to shrink...

Why not both? Unfortunately when you have bad actors mixed in with peaceful protestors, it's the peaceful protestors that end up feeling the brunt of things

 

[fragamemnon]

I support the city authorities making sure outside protestors don't trespass onto campus. That's a dangerous thing - students operate under a code of conduct that has very real consequences if they violate it. Non-students don't, and it introduces instability into what otherwise would be a pretty stable and reasonable situation.

 

[Heisenberg726]

I've posted about this on the main Israel/Palestine thread, but I have been at the encampment for the past few days, am involved in its organization, and I am happy to answer any questions regarding it.

 

[Thordinson]

Why not both? Unfortunately when you have bad actors mixed in with peaceful protestors, it's the peaceful protestors that end up feeling the brunt of things

Click to shrink...

Focusing on vague allegations of antisemitism just creates fear and spreads misinformation. There's no need to focus on it. If there's actual antisemitism, there should be a light shown on it and folks kicked off of the protests.

Given that it's well documented that many of the organizers of the Columbia sit-in are Jewish and I couldn't find any concrete reports of cases of harassment or violence in this particular protest, I'm going to go out on a limb and call bullshit on the nebulous perceived dangers that lead to this police crackdown.

As it's been the case in in recent protests, we are just seeing a lot of fearmongering over anti-genocide and pro-Palestine liberation language and chants from disingenuous actors.

Hope the organizers continue to do a good job keeping everything under control as the protests grow.

Also if you want to laugh a bit there's been a few videos on Twitter of right-wing Zionist provocateurs going to these protests trying to stir the pot and nobody gives a shit so they just stand there looking "heroic". It's really funny.

Click to shrink...

This.

 

[Everybody Lies]

A lot of this is conservatives wagging the dog again and the administration cowering in fear after being brought before the Republican House earlier in the week. It is my understanding that the protest on campus has been peaceful and cooperative. It is outside agitators inflaming this and I wonder how many of them are on a payroll to further establish their desired narrative.

 

[Scuffed]

Full support for anyone fighting for Palestinian emancipation and the very worst wishes for those that try to maintain it. The narrative that much of the mainstream media is pushing is despicable in light of how little they care about Palestinian death and hate. They have no moral compass, just special interests.

 

[spineduke]

This is a reminder this is not the thread to downplay reports of antisemitism, even if there may be instances of weaponization of such accusations. People who insist on carrying on this line of discussion will face moderation. We don't need to downplay potential threats to make the case for Palestine or the rights of the students to protest.

 

[entremet]

The Columbia's President statement before Congress were very weird, well the questioning was insane.

These are the people in Congress?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGLWU6868GE&list=RDNSiGLWU6868GE&start_radio=1

 

[Karew]

From co-founder of https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/ and past contributor to Haaretz:


View: https://x.com/simonerzim/status/1782606749205180869


View: https://x.com/simonerzim/status/1781543520089583959

There is something to be said about how anti-Zionist Jews are erased from the narrative of pro-Palestinian protests in the west.

(Shai Davidai is a racist Zionist who posted footage of Muslims praying peacefully as evidence that Columbia has devolved some kind of terrorist compound)

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I'm somewhat confused as to what these admins think the on-campus endgame is here. They'd better be quick to draw a line in the sand that says "we're only arresting these students for making these faux-domiciles on private property", not that "we're criminalizing and expelling all pro-Palestinian activity." Because the latter is how it's coming across in news reports, with the appropriate cheerleading (and outrage) that entails.

The protests are only going to grow larger the more heavy-handed the tactics become. You cannot bludgeon a student body into silence. You can swiftly react to reports of anti-semitism and remove any and all persons who are actively calling for "wiping X group off the map" or posting graffiti aimed at Jewish students immediately.

 

[entremet]

I'm somewhat confused as to what these admins think the on-campus endgame is here. They'd better be quick to draw a line in the sand that says "we're only arresting these students for making these faux-domiciles on private property", not that "we're criminalizing and expelling all pro-Palestinian activity." Because the latter is how it's coming across in news reports, with the appropriate cheerleading (and outrage) that entails.

The protests are only going to grow larger the more heavy-handed the tactics become. You cannot bludgeon a student body into silence. You can swiftly react to reports of anti-semitism and remove any and all persons who are actively calling for "wiping X group off the map" or posting graffiti aimed at Jewish students immediately.

Click to shrink...

So pro Palestine (not antisemitic) protests have been common in Columbia, for years.

However, with pressure from Congress, see above, and donors looking to doxx students, and we have a much charged situation.

 

[hanshen]

From co-founder of https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/ and past contributor to Haaretz:

Click to shrink...

Also the protagonist of the documentary Israelism which everyone should watch.

About | Israelism

When two young American Jews raised to unconditionally love Israel witness the brutal way Israel treats Palestinians, their lives take sharp left turns. They join a movement of young American Jews battling the old guard to redefine Judaism’s relationship with Israel, revealing a deepening...

www.israelismfilm.com

 

[Thordinson]

I'm somewhat confused as to what these admins think the on-campus endgame is here. They'd better be quick to draw a line in the sand that says "we're only arresting these students for making these faux-domiciles on private property", not that "we're criminalizing and expelling all pro-Palestinian activity." Because the latter is how it's coming across in news reports, with the appropriate cheerleading (and outrage) that entails.

The protests are only going to grow larger the more heavy-handed the tactics become. You cannot bludgeon a student body into silence. You can swiftly react to reports of anti-semitism and remove any and all persons who are actively calling for "wiping X group off the map" or posting graffiti aimed at Jewish students immediately.

Click to shrink...

They are going to continue to arrest folks for pro-Palestinian protesting especially with Congressmembers telling them to do something and donors threatening to pull money.

 

[krazen]

Lots of it were weaponized particularly since the framing was focused solely on Columbia campus; NYC has had a spike in anti-semetism and islamophobia as a whole so focusing strictly on Columbia which actually has avenues of complaint and justice felt off (not as if NYPD traditionally gave a fuck about hate crimes until reporting forced their hands). It's there, but its folded into a wider societal spike in hate crimes as opposed to a Columbia only phenom.

A huge part of it was the GOP playing Spiderman meme in having an opportunity to point out leftist antisemitism while hugging their own Nazi's tight.

 

[Zaphod]

Also the protagonist of the documentary Israelism which everyone should watch.

About | Israelism

When two young American Jews raised to unconditionally love Israel witness the brutal way Israel treats Palestinians, their lives take sharp left turns. They join a movement of young American Jews battling the old guard to redefine Judaism’s relationship with Israel, revealing a deepening...

www.israelismfilm.com

Click to shrink...

That is a definitely a documentary everyone should see. I happened to see it on Oct 8th which was a bit surreal and it showed how the dehumanizing against Palestinians would go. I'm glad it's available, because I worried it wouldn't get distribution.

 

[Complicated]

Can't leave out the Biden admin playing up the fear tactics by lumping the students in with any nazi instigators. It's not just Republicans working this narrative.

 

[Ambient]

As long as violence is not occurring and classes can be shifted online I think these protests should be a permanent fixture at universities. It's brings the discourse often taught as these institutions.

 

[Jeb]

Students and faculty are are risking their education and careers to speak up against mass murder.

They have my respect.

Meanwhile the spineless cowardly management of their universities are sicking their police on them, they are complicit in genocide, they are doing their part to silence any one who speaks up against it.

 

[Ash_Greytree]

Columbia has a whole First Amendment Institute and their letter to Shafik is well-worth reading: Knight Institute Calls for Urgent "Course Correction" on Response to Student Protests at Columbia University. They make it clear from the first paragraph that they believe the response has been bad:

Over the past six months, the Knight Institute has raised concerns with your administration, publicly and privately, regarding the University's decisions and policies relating to free speech on campus. In light of the wrenching and dispiriting events of the past week, we feel compelled to do so again. In our view, the University's decisions and policies have become disconnected from the values that are central to the University's life and mission—including free speech, academic freedom, and equality—and we believe a course correction is urgently necessary.

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The rest of the letter is, again, well worth reading for its criticisms of the way Columbia's been carrying itself in these regards.

 

[Foffy]

It's nice to see this is spreading, too. Other universities are protesting as well.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGZSou7u-zI

From co-founder of https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/ and past contributor to Haaretz:


View: https://x.com/simonerzim/status/1782606749205180869


View: https://x.com/simonerzim/status/1781543520089583959

There is something to be said about how anti-Zionist Jews are erased from the narrative of pro-Palestinian protests in the west.

(Shai Davidai is a racist Zionist who posted footage of Muslims praying peacefully as evidence that Columbia has devolved some kind of terrorist compound)

Click to shrink...

Shai Davidai recently had his faculty ID card disabled. This is the first time I've seen him suffer any repercussion for his absurd fanaticism. Probably the loudest spreader of bullshit and I'm happy to know most media sources have avoided directly interviewing him. Wouldn't be surprised if he defended the use of IDF spray used on American civilians which happened on the same campus he works at.

It should be added that it took Columbia months to take action against the Pro-Israel student who sprayed pro-palestinian students with "skunk" chemical weapon.

Click to shrink...

He's suing the school. Unless I'm mistaken and I've only found Zionist sources aside from the New York Post, it's never been confirmed he used what he's calling "fart spray" that sent people to the hospital is what he says it is. The IDF engages in tactics that involve lying about the weapons they use, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying out one of those tactics here.

 

[BringBackSonics]

Can't leave out the Biden admin playing up the fear tactics by lumping the students in with any nazi instigators. It's not just Republicans working this narrative.

Click to shrink...

Link?

 

[effingvic]

Really amazing to see the solidarity and the encampments spreading to other universities. Big shout out to all the faculty who put their bodies on the line to protect their students.

Its also exposed some completely insane takes by supposedly rational people. For example, this tweet from a staff editor of The Atlantic


View: https://twitter.com/CaitlinPacific/status/1782862405304983838

I think the university administration, congress and all these people pearl clutching about the campus protests is showing how terrified they are of the seismic shift in public opinion. You cant put this genie back in the bottle.

 

[Jeb]

Link?

Click to shrink...

View: https://twitter.com/ShelleyGspan/status/1782139757474070721

Thanks to effingvic in the Palestine thread.

 

[vrietje]

It's nice to see this is spreading, too. Other universities are protesting as well.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGZSou7u-zI



Shai Davidai recently had his faculty ID card disabled. This is the first time I've seen him suffer any repercussion for his absurd fanaticism. Probably the loudest spreader of bullshit and I'm happy to know most media sources have avoided directly interviewing him. Wouldn't be surprised if he defended the use of IDF spray used on American civilians which happened on the same campus he works at.



He's suing the school. Unless I'm mistaken and I've only found Zionist sources aside from the New York Post, it's never been confirmed he used what he's calling "fart spray" that sent people to the hospital is what he says it is. The IDF engages in tactics that involve lying about the weapons they use, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying out one of those tactics here.

Click to shrink...

Oh is that was going on my for you stream only gave the Colombia is disabling id cards of Jewish professors angles

 

[BringBackSonics]

View: https://twitter.com/ShelleyGspan/status/1782139757474070721

Thanks to effingvic in the Palestine thread.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, yeah I don't like the broad strokes there at all

 

[M.Bluth]

It's a complicated scenario where there are almost certainly a number of people in both the "actually protesting" and "just want to harass" camps, and the problem is one of those groups is going to paint the entire protest one way or the other, depending on who reads the story.

Click to shrink...

And? Why should we cede any ground to some assholes trying to stir up some shit when we have live footage and reporting showing the protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, diverse, and a real show of intersectional solidarity?

The entire reason pro-Israeli figures have been making a ton of noise about these encampments has nothing to do with rising antisemitic incidents across the board and everything to do with Israel and hasbarists fighting a losing PR battle trying to justify their genocide.

Also, we're months into this travesty, let's not forget how often the Pro-Israeli camp paints the most basic show of sympathy and solidarity to Palestinians as antisemitic hate and an explicit endorsement of Hamas war crimes.

Really amazing to see the solidarity and the encampments spreading to other universities. Big shout out to all the faculty who put their bodies on the line to protect their students.

Its also exposed some completely insane takes by supposedly rational people. For example, this tweet from a staff editor of The Atlantic


View: https://twitter.com/CaitlinPacific/status/1782862405304983838

I think the administration, congress and all these people pearl clutching about the campus protests is showing how terrified they are of the seismic shift in public opinion. You cant put this genie back in the bottle.

Click to shrink...

Pro-Israeli Propagandists React Normally to Anything Challenge (Impossible)

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Complete failure by the Admin.

 

[Foffy]

Oh is that was going on my for you stream only gave the Colombia is disabling id cards of Jewish professors angles

Click to shrink...

He beefs with anybody questioning his absurd takes over what's happening where he works. He's deeply hostile. He got angry at Ilhan Omar for mispronouncing his name when he was briefly brought up by her at the Colombia hearing in Congress.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9b45or_ILQ

Tell me what you find in this to get angry about. Now imagine there is something to get angry about and you're now in the brain of Shai Davidai and how he reacts to anything that isn't "there's a cult on campus and it's after the Jews." He claimed a Muslim prayer was a "takeover" of the university. I imagine after a mountain of complaints he was punished in some capacity, because he's drumming up a storm his own colleagues say isn't happening. The less people know about this clown, the better. But he really is the leading professor at this university painting a mass antisemitism takeover that gives this larger attempt at manufacturing a false narrative weight.

Pay attention to how Eric Adams, members of Congress and even the sitting President of the United States are all rallying against the university for attacks of antisemitism and realize barely a breath has been said about the alleged use of Israeli chemical weapons on American citizens in New York City. They'll rely on these low-level jobbers to justify broader lies about what's actually happening, what group is being primarily targeted, and how the vested interests of the American empire and media are "racist by default" against Palestinians and their plight.

 

[HologramThragtusk]

From co-founder of https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/ and past contributor to Haaretz:


View: https://x.com/simonerzim/status/1782606749205180869


View: https://x.com/simonerzim/status/1781543520089583959

There is something to be said about how anti-Zionist Jews are erased from the narrative of pro-Palestinian protests in the west.

(Shai Davidai is a racist Zionist who posted footage of Muslims praying peacefully as evidence that Columbia has devolved some kind of terrorist compound)

Click to shrink...

You absolutely love to see it. So proud of all the students and faculty members for supporting each other and not allowing their message to be buried by a bunch of racist right wing grifters. To paraphrase the words I heard from a student there "We are not there ones who are brave, it is the people of Palestine who are brave. What we're doing is just the bare minimum." Truly gives me hope that we can come together to not only do better but to be better.

 

[Nox]

Really amazing to see the solidarity and the encampments spreading to other universities. Big shout out to all the faculty who put their bodies on the line to protect their students.

Its also exposed some completely insane takes by supposedly rational people. For example, this tweet from a staff editor of The Atlantic


View: https://twitter.com/CaitlinPacific/status/1782862405304983838

I think the university administration, congress and all these people pearl clutching about the campus protests is showing how terrified they are of the seismic shift in public opinion. You cant put this genie back in the bottle.

Click to shrink...

It's nothing short of incredible seeing the same people that were ok with Ben Shapiro, Milo, etc spreading hate on campuses react to a mostly peaceful protest with wanting to reenact Kent State

 

[Speedstersonic]

The Columbia's President statement before Congress were very weird, well the questioning was insane.

These are the people in Congress?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGLWU6868GE&list=RDNSiGLWU6868GE&start_radio=1

Click to shrink...

This makes me want to throw up. These people control our lives.

Fuck i hate this country

 

[Kisaya]

Anyone who is an alum or affiliated with these institutions should support, protect, and defend these encampments and other forms of student protests, as well as their exercise their own. Love to see and have admired these calls to strike, cancel classes, and boycott commencements.

And if you're not in anyway affiliated, people are always needing folks for jail support!

 

[Whales]

proud of all the students (and teachers etc) participating in these ❤️

 

[FusedAtoms]

So cool to see it spreading to other schools. The reactions to this have been fucking insane though

 

[zerosnake99]

I hope a lawsuit is filed. The NYPD was called against the protesters saying they were trespassing because they had been suspended, but then they were suspension reasons stated were that they had been suspended.

Absolute circular (and bullshit) reasoning.

 

[effingvic]

View: https://twitter.com/prem_thakker/status/1782950888337821972


View: https://twitter.com/prem_thakker/status/1782960995427881164

This is fucking crazy

 

[Bremsstrahlung]

Saw University of Sydney students joining in.


View: https://twitter.com/SFP_USyd/status/1783004216455540956

Respect to all the students and faculty carrying out these protests. Response from these universities have been ghoulish, like Barnard evicting students from their dorms.

 

[n0stalghia]

Barnard evicting students from their dorms.

Click to shrink...

That article is a fascinating read. Especially this quote got me:

"I'm still at my dorm, but I can be kicked out at any time. I emailed Dean Grinage saying that I need housing, and she said that she can transport me to safe location, but she didn't offer a safe location and I don't have one"

Click to shrink...

What about the safe housing for Jewish students? The lack of which (due to bad actors) caused the protests to be cracked down upon? The lack of self-awareness is astounding.

 

[SilentPanda]

Columbia University: Pro-Palestinian protesters refuse to disband

Dr Minouche Shafik warned demonstrators that "alternative options" would have to be considered for clearing the area on the New York City campus if an agreement with demonstrators was not reached.

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A group representing pro-Palestinian protesters said it would not continue engaging in negotiations.

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Some 133 people were arrested on Monday in protests at New York University.

Dozens of arrests were also made in rallies at Yale, while Harvard has restricted access to the campus.

Gaza war demonstrations have also cropped up at colleges in the US Midwest and on the West Coast, where one campus has been closed.

Click to shrink...

Just after midnight, Columbia University Apartheid Divest - a coalition of pro-Palestinian student groups - said it would not continue to engage in negotiations "until there is a written commitment that the administration will not be unleashing the NYPD or the National Guard on its students"

Click to shrink...

Columbia University: Pro-Palestinian protesters refuse to disband

A deadline for pro-Palestinian protesters to disband from the university's main campus was set for midnight.

www.bbc.com