I don’t believe an incident like this has occurred since the Vietnam war, but within the last two hours students and other sympathizers with Palestine (and those who hate Israel) demonstrated in front of the administration building on campus (Levi Hall), blocking access to the building. I was told that those in the building couldn’t get out, and those wishing to enter couldn’t get in.
I was also told that this was a violation of university regulations in several ways: demonstrating without a permit, disrupting campus activities with loud noise, blocking access to University offices, and constituting a fire hazard. Also, the University police told me that several demonstrators actually entered the building, which is also a violation if you don’t have business there. And while it would be free speech if it were a more quiet and a permitted demonstration, and didn’t block entry to buildings, it should have been broken up by the University. The police told me that couldn’t do anything as they were “waiting for orders from above” (i.e., the administration). I have no idea what the administration did, if anything.
The demonstration lasted well over an hour, and then, at about 10 a.m., the students who blocked the building entry scuttled away very quickly. I don’t know if someone in the administration spoke to them, or there was a time constraint on the demonstration.
For the last such demonstration I recall (I wasn’t here), look on this page under “1960s protests and sit ins“.
Here are some photos and a video I took. Click photos to enlarge them.
Students and their supporters blocking access to the administration building. The masks they’re all wearing may be to avoid identification, as I think they could be suspended or punished for what they’re doing:
A group of students holding signs. There were many, and of course no openly pro-Israel student dared show up:
One of the students (I’m not sure, of course, if these are all students) shouting slogans through a microphone. Several students took over the mike, and the slogans included the “From the river to the sea” chant calling for Israel’s elimination, as well as a call for the University to disinvest from Israel (we have an ideologically-neutral investment policy), and other calls, most of them strongly anti-Israeli. It was very loud, as the demonstrators chanted in a call-and-response with the person holding the microphone. There was also one chanter with a megaphone.
A short video of the demonstration:
Someone really MUST make a meme of that Free Palestine poster with the added words “No purchase necessary”.
“No purchase necessary” is funny, Robert. I’m always thinking the ignorant blighters have left off two important words: “from Hamas.”
And that smug person, holding the sign saying “US military is funding genocide”, is obviously ignorant of his support for a genocide of Israelis should Hamas and other benighted entities get their wish to overrun Israel. Tiresome people.
Hear hear
Horrible. It’s a punch in the gut to see this happen. It scares me that lies can have such power. How can the defenders of truth stuff this insanity back into its bottle?
The late Bob Zimmer was a great university president and leader. Paul Alivisatos is no Bob Zimmer from what I have observed over the past year. Who was the so called “dean on call” for these demonstrations this morning? My understanding is that that person is the higher up that is liaison to police. I infer from Jerry’s remarks that supporters of Israel may have had their speech freedom chilled by the nature of the Pro-palestine demonstrators. The university being neutral on political matters does not mean the university is just totally laissez-faire with respect to demonstrations.
Yes there are some ‘genuine’ problems with the Palestinians. I note that most Arab states don’t want them.
Is it because they are a pain in the butt or do they see it ideologically expeditious to have a large Palestinian population nowhere to go?
I think the HAMAS attack was unequivocal: murder, rape, torture.
Hamas should be eliminated, but that is difficult, since they hide among civilians,
Again, today, I had a student (job one is teaching at the secondary level) tell me that several of his college applications were withdrawn due to antisemitic activities at the schools. I did not ask which, as his recommendations were already submit, but this is a kid with near perfect SAT and ACT and 5 across the board on AP exams. Awesome kid, great student, involved in his community. And not a jew. THis is number three or four (I am not taking notes on this, as I am rather disgusted)
Gee, if only this sort of misinformation campaign happened at a place devoted to critical thinking and higher learning. If only there were rational experienced teachers who could guide younger persons relevant subjects such as history and ethics.
Hello, just to clarify some very basic facts, at no point did any member of the blockade or rally attempt to enter the building. Nor was there any attempt to prevent people from leaving. It was clearly expressed to university police, campus administration, and building management that they would move aside to allow any exits.
All I know is what the police on the scene told me, which is what I wrote. You assert a different viewpoint. As for crossing the blockade, a friend of mine told me he tried to walk through the outside tunnel of the building and was so harassed that he decided to walk around the building.
“at no point did any member of the blockade”
Interesting choice of words when claiming that there was no prevention of people entering or leaving.
Personally, just the fact that there is a large group of people chanting/protesting, regardless the topic, who discourage me from attempting to pass.