As pro-Palestinian protests have erupted on college campuses nationwide, protesters — including students and faculty — have been arrested. The protests grew after an encampment on the campus of Columbia University in New York City led to the arrest of more than 100 protesters on April 18.
Since then, hundreds of people have been arrested on college and university campuses from coast to coast as schools prepare for spring commencement ceremonies. The University of Southern California, where nearly 100 protesters were arrested April 24, canceled its primary commencement event. Protesters have been arrested on more than 20 campuses across at least 16 states. Many other schools have experienced protests without arrests.
Protest demands vary from campus to campus, but a major focus is that universities divest from companies with financial ties to Israel amid its war with Hamas. There have also been counter-protests, resulting in clashes at UCLA on Sunday. CNN
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Some students deserve to be arrested:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68923528
Good learning expierence for them.
experience
It reminds me a lot of the anti-Vietnam war protests at college campuses back in 1968-72, especially talk of bringing in the National Guard for those “who deserve to be arrested” like they did at Kent State and nearly did at another half-dozen campuses in May 1970. How do I know? I’m writing a book about it.
I don’t really consider that the same because for one, the 4 students killed were not even taking part in the protest and two, I’m referring to protesters actually committing damage in the process, not the actaul protesting.
actual
Actually 2 of them were – another was an ROTC cadet and a 4th on the way to her class.
My understanding is two of them were protesters but not protesting at the moment. And I’m aware of one being an ROTC cadet. Ironic isn’t it?
Anyway my issue isn’t the protesting, it’s when protesters start doing damage. Also with some of the protesters yelling “death to all Zionists” and things to the effect of “burn Israel down”. And yes I am aware that a good chunk of the protesters are Jewish themselves.
Patch San Diego: Hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters took to San Diego State University’s main walkway Tuesday, demonstrating over the Israel-Hamas war, in a walkout organized over social media.
The student organization, SDSU Students for Justice in Palestine, led the midday walkout that centered at Hepner Hall amid sunny weather, impending graduation ceremonies, and final exams.
The SDSU students are the latest to join the movement that sparked at Columbia University in mid-April and has expanded to Cal Poly Humboldt, UCLA, and USC in California. The movement calls for universities to distance themselves from companies that support Israel’s involvement in Gaza.
At SDSU, students and supporters held signs, waved banners and flags, and chanted “Shut it down!” during the walkout, according to a video released over X, formerly Twitter. [Sorry my link to Patch San Diego got all wonky]
First amendment rights to free speech, to assemble & peacefully protest seem to be having a palpable impact, no matter how the press bastardizes them. Since their inception, the protests have prevented IDF tanks and troops from mounting a bloody and deadly ground invasion into Rafa. Something the president, US intelligence and the Pentagon have been unable do, effectively contain Bibi.
The state sent about 100 law enforcement officers to Arcata on Monday, and about 2:30am Tuesday, they entered the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt and began arresting the protesters who had occupied the administration building. The campus is closed and dorm students are confined to their rooms, but can go to the dining facilities. About 3 dozen were arrested and the campus is closed until the 10th of May. The students are on remote learning until the semester ends. I was at Humboldt when the Kent State killings occurred, and we rallied and went on strike, and 3,000 students marched on Arcata, but it was peaceful. We spent the next two weeks going through the Eureka and Arcata communities door to door trying to talk with people about the strike and the war in Viet Nam. (My roommate actually encountered an elderly man in Eureka who had been a Wobbly-Industrial Workers of the World—in the early 20th century.). The saddest part of it was that it was 4 days short of exactly 5 years later, after the Kent State killings, that the Viet Nam War ended.
Tom, I will be sending you a copy of The May 1970 Rebellion when I get it published in the next couple of months.
LA Times: ARCATA, Calif. —
Ending a weeklong siege, police on Tuesday arrested at least 25 protesters at Cal Poly Humboldt, where Gaza war demonstrators had occupied buildings and forced the campus to close.
The move came as pro-Palestinian protesters, who are demanding divestment from Israel and an end to the country’s military actions in Gaza, set up several new tent encampments at colleges and universities across California as tensions escalated.
Police were in a standoff with protesters on the Humboldt campus Monday night, telling more than 100 they had to leave. Demonstrators, some wearing goggles and helmets and carrying makeshift shields, spent the night chanting and playing music. At 9 p.m., a police vehicle drove by and announced they could be subject to rubber bullets and chemical agents. Some faculty members, who were told by the university they should not enter campus, massed just outside, observing.
Shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, police moved in and made the arrests. The university said “those arrested faced a range of different charges depending on individual circumstances, including unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assault of police officers and others. In addition, students could face discipline for conduct violations while any university employees arrested could face disciplinary action.”
As part of the operation, officers said they cleared Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East. No injuries were reported.
This takes me right back to Kent State and makes me sick with grief.
Why does our country support such terrible policies like the War in Vietnam (and other nearby nations), and now Israel’s killing of innocents in Gaza?
“How can people be so heartless”?
And on the UCLA campus:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-30/ucla-moves-to-shut-down-pro-palestinian-encampment-as-unlawful
Sometimes (actually often), both sides deserve some blame. This will be a good learning experience for these students, pro and anti Israel.
Sadly, some of my Jewish friends are getting pretty violent with strangers out and around SD. Two as I mentioned before are no longer friends. I don’t want to be witness when they do something stupid that will result in them in an orange jumpsuit.
Counter-demonstrators attacked UCLA peaceful encampment — while security and cops stood by for hours.
LA Times: Just before midnight, a large group of counterdemonstrators, wearing black outfits and white masks, arrived on campus and tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the encampment. Campers, some holding lumber and wearing goggles and helmets, rallied to defend the encampment’s perimeter.
Videos showed fireworks being set off and at least one being thrown into the camp. Over the next few hours, counterdemonstrators threw objects, including wood and a metal barrier, at the camp and those inside, with fights repeatedly breaking out.
The violence is the worst on campus since counterprotesters, who support Israel, set up a dueling area near where the war protesters were camping.
Some tried to force their way into the camp, and the pro-Palestinian side used pepper spray to defend themselves.
Officers line up in the darkness at UCLA.
Officers line up outside the encampment on the UCLA campus on Wednesday morning.
(ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP/Getty Images)
A group of security guards could be seen observing the clashes but did not move in to stop them.
One representative of the camp said the counter-demonstrators repeatedly pushed over the barricades that outline the boundaries of the encampment, and some campers said they were hit by a substance they thought was pepper spray.
Some people in the camp were being treated for eye irritation and other wounds. The extent of the injuries was unclear, though The Times saw several people who were bleeding and needed medical attention.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-30/ucla-moves-to-shut-down-pro-palestinian-encampment-as-unlawful
Yes Frank I read the article and am fully aware that the pro-Israel counter protesters were the agitators in this confrontation. Despite that my “both sides” opinion still stands.
Chris, I didn’t post that in response to you, it was just a FYI to readers.
Got it Frank. No worries.
We need to remember that for the first time in modern history a waring nation has banned ALL journalists, including Israeli journalists, from independently entering the warzone.
The link is to an extensive, 9 minute CBS News interview with an IDF Sniper breaking his silence about the IDF Kill Zones and indiscriminate bombing throughout Gaza. In an interview with CBS News foreign correspondent Debora Patta, the IDF soldier describes the culture within the Israeli military, and why he believes the bombardment of Gaza has often been indiscriminate.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-idf-soldier-criticizes-israels-004937546.html