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CAMPUS PROTEST: HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT  
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Stephanie Luce
May 3, 2024
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_ You may not agree with their demands. And you might not like their
strategy. But here is what I think everyone should know and be deeply
worried about. _

Penn Students makeship camp site, protesting and demanding that the
university of Pennsylvania divest all of its investments in the
“Israeli apartheid state”, Carmen Russell Sluchansky/ WHYY News

 

In case you haven’t followed it, students on over 140 campuses (and
counting) around the US, and now globally, have been setting up
encampments to demand that their universities take steps to end the
war in Gaza. Over 2,000 people have been arrested around the country.

You may not agree with their demands. And you might not like their
strategy. But here is what I think everyone should know and be deeply
worried about:

* Students have little to no democratic voice in how universities
are run. You may think protests are ineffective or unproductive or
chaotic, but what else can they do when they have serious concerns
about their schools' priorities? 
* These protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful. It's really hard
to find exceptions to that, and some of the stories of dangerous
conditions have turned out to be false. For example, the president of
City College called on the NYPD to dismantle the encampment with the
only evidence of “danger” being the presence of tents and flags.
* Antisemitism exists everywhere in society, and we need to call it
out and challenge it. But the amount of antisemitism in these
protests, from what I’ve seen, is FAR less than what I see in
regular daily life - in fact, I can't point to an example. That
doesn’t excuse antisemitism, but it does suggest we can’t cry wolf
about it, because that means calling out the real examples of it
becomes a lot harder. As a Jewish person, I’m far more afraid of the
antisemitism I see from those _in positions of power_ (like
Congress!!) than I am of what a random 20-year-old says on social
media.

* Universities are coordinating with one another and elected leaders
to crackdown on the protests. The crackdowns are extreme. Some of the
playbook involves: 

* arbitrarily changing rules about protesting with little to no
input or notice
* issuing statements about students being in danger due to protests,
with little to no proof
* blaming protests on “outside agitators,” even on campuses
where outsiders have no means of entry
* labeling protestors (students and faculty) as antisemitic, often
with little or no proof
* calling in police to harass, brutalize and arrest students
* allowing police free reign to attack students, staff, and faculty
with no oversight (police are breaking the laws, stealing and breaking
personal items)
* police have arrested people without cause or notice, caused
injury, and violated civil rights
* allowing violent counter-protestors on campus with NO police
response
* adopting a “both sides” approach when counter-protestors have
initiated violence
* Holding students for extended periods of time, without access to a
lawyer, which is not common for these kinds of arrests.

* Students and faculty who are arrested are facing severe criminal
charges, including felony charges. Students, including bystanders, are
being expelled from classes and housing. Faculty are being punished.
For example, Annelise Orleck, Professor of History and former head of
Jewish Studies at Dartmouth, has been banned from the campus where she
has taught for 34 years for trying to defend her students.

THERE IS ANOTHER WAY! The Evergreen State University has agreed to the
student demand to divest. Brown University is going to put the issue
to a vote at the Board of Trustees (and it may lose, but at least
there is a process). Rutgers University is establishing a task force
to address a host of demands.  

* There is a lot of misreporting going on, and grossly misleading,
and even false, statements by people like President Biden and Mayor
Adams in NY. Please follow independent media, talk to people on the
ground, and read what the students themselves are saying, which is *at
least* as reliable as police press releases. 
* Yes, certainly there are Jewish students who feel uncomfortable
with the protests on their campuses. And there are Palestinian
students who are in deep trauma and grief. And there are Jewish
students who are outraged at wht they feel is a genocide being
committed in their name. And there are American students outraged at
their tax dollars going to fund war in Gaza and militarized police
forces. I can't imagine why anyone would feel "comfortable" in this
moment, and the university crushing dissent certainly won't resolve
any of this. 

WHAT TO DO? STEPS INCLUDE: 

The House passed HR6090
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which will help to criminalize student protestors. The Senate hasn't
voted yet, on S. 4091 Email your senators:
innmvmt.org/emailcongress?t=0Mt7II
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Students (and faculty and staff) around the country need your support
to protect their right to protest. They need calls to local officials
and university administrators to drop charges and hold police
accountable. In some cases, they need money for medical treatment and
to replace items broken or stolen by the police. 

If you are in a university-based union, check with them to find ways
to support the protests. Many students and faculty are represented by
unions that are participating in campus demonstrations, supporting
negotiations, and calling for support and accountability from
administrators and police.  

_Stephanie Luce is a xxxxxx moderator._

* Gaza
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* Israel
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* campus protest
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