HOUSE Democrats call on Columbia board to end protest encampment or resign

[ripcord]

A group of House Democrats is urging Columbia University’s board of trustees to end the ongoing protest encampment on the campus or step down from their positions.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) led the group of 21 colleagues in sending a letter to the board demanding school officials put an end to the encampment, which has garnered national attention for more than a week.

“We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote.

“As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,” they added.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4628894-democrats-columbia-board-protest-encampment/

At least someone is thinking of the students who just want to go to classes and finish the school year.

[jimfields33]

1. Thank you Democratic politicians for doing this. You definitely are the heroes in this saga.

[ripcord]

3. A vocal minority is fucking up the end of the school year

[Cuthbert Allgood]

8. Maybe we should send the national guard in to deal with the protests.

What could possibly go wrong?

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

2. And that's how you lose the election.

What we don't need are campus crackdowns and "law and order" braggadocio. And Israel shouldn't be the tail that wags the American dog. Columbia could divest its holding in Israel, the students win, and everyone goes home. It probably wouldn't matter to Israel in the greater scheme of things, other than denting Netanyahu's ego. There's a history of campus protests there leading to divestment - in South Africa, tobacco, Corrections Corp. of America (Koch, if you're unaware), etc. In each, the administration resisted. Most of the time it was "heated," and sometimes infiltrated with agitators trying to discredit the students. Outside reaction varied. I do remember GOPs being really upset about divestment in South Africa.

There's another thing going on here, too, at least with Goldman. The NY Democratic Party's liberal establishment gives every indication that they fear the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists more than they fear the GOP. That battle didn't go very well for them last time out. Remember Max Rose and Sean Patrick Maloney from frequent MSNBC appearances? If your memory fades the GOP gained seats as result, and it was probably key to their gaining the majority in the House. Want a repeat of those losses? If voters can't tell the difference between the GOP (who are all in on armed police arresting those eeeeevil students) and the Dems, and if the party decides it doesn't need support from young voters, I reckon it could happen again.

Let Columbia deal with it (or pressure them to divest), and stop pouring gasoline on that fire. Save your gas cans for the GOP. Stop acting like Sprio Agnew!

[ripcord]

4. If Jewish students are afraid to go to class there is a Title VI violation

Columbia is required to deal with this or they can lose all federal funding and grants.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

6. And there is absolute proof

that it is the students in the encampment creating that hostile environment?

Because they make it pretty clear they aren't. They indicate that those hostilities are coming from people that are outside (both physically and ideologically) their protest.

One could make the environment less hostile by dealing with the very few doing that and still allowing the students to protest.

[ripcord]

11. It doesn't matter who is doing it

Students safety is the first priority especially when they are being attacked for their religion. But we have seen anti-semitism from the student protesters, remember "Zionists are entering the encampment" based on one student wearing a Magen David?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

12. It does matter when we are talking about limited protected speech.

Most indications are that it isn't the students in the encampment doing it. So don't punish them. Punish the ones that are doing it.

[ripcord]

14. So you are fine with the police going in and removing individuals who violate campus rules?

[Cha]

30. No it isn't.. it's the Right thing to do. Stop Trying to Depress the Vote

fpr our Democrats.

[wnylib]

34. The president of one of the colleges (don't remember which one)

said that they will not divest from Israeli investments, but they will look into making Palestinian investments.

Israel is hardly "wagging the American dog." The call to end the encampments is not about the US relationship with Israel as an ally. It's about the rights of students on campus who are not part of the protests to have access to campus buildings and facilities without being blocked or having to run a gamut of verbal harassment.

[Model35mech]

5. House Dems aren't really in Columbia U's chain of command

It's currently the most significant expression of popular international political sentiment.

Disagreement isn't always a bad thing. We should know about it, so we can understand the positions of all sides

Information is what makes our own opinions valuable.

The dirty fighting doesn't do much for building informed opinion.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

7. What a crazy fucking world I live in.

Republicans are supporting Russia and Democrats want to stop college protestors.

How did I jump to this timeline, because I don't like it.

[Nanjeanne]

21. I feel like I've jumped into some rabbit hole. 50+ years as a Democrat - I'm looking around going WTF?

[LeftInTX]

40. It's not going well. Harassing students is not free speech. Holding employees against their will is not free speech.

Link to tweet

[LiberalFighter]

9. I suggest arrest those that are not students.

[Ping Tung]

10. The crackdown on free speech and the right to assemble continues.

End the end the crackdown will fail because students aren't dumb and will fight this in the courts and on the streets as they did in the '60s

All the bosses will accomplish is to spread the protests and make them larger and more powerful.

[Zeitghost]

13. There is no right to assemble or right to free speech

On the Columbia campus. It is private property.

[Ping Tung]

18. Tsk. Tsk. I hope they don't trample the dandelions while trying to save lives.

[Silent3]

15. This isn't *just* speech and assembly -- it's the kind of civil disobedience one should *expect* to be arrested for

The power of civil disobedience comes from people showing they're willing to be arrested and face consequences for their actions. It can't ever be reasonably expected that protesters get to camp out and take over a piece of land indefinitely, left totally undisturbed.

Further (to whatever degree it's true, not just anti-protest propaganda) no one should be expecting to make people feel threatened and not have their activities broken up.

[ripcord]

16. But they are worried that a suspension or arrest will hurt their employment chances

You don't really expect them to accept the consequences of their actions do you?

[Silent3]

19. I respect the ones who accept the consequences of their actions, and who aren't anti-semitic

For the rest, play stupid games...

[Ontheboundry]

26. I believe that this campus is private property?

Free speech rights dies at the property line if that is right

[Ping Tung]

33. That's what was said during the civil rights movement and Freedom Riders.

[Ontheboundry]

36. This isn't the same

Hamas started something ugly l, and regardless of response, they are responsible for being the catalyst of it

Nice try though comparing Hamas defenders to civil rights

[Ping Tung]

37. I was ccomparing student protesters with protesters. You are comparing the protesters to Hamas.

Are the anti-war protesters killing Palestinian civilians or trying to starve Palestinians?

[Ontheboundry]

38. If you support hamas,

Then what does that say about you?

I am not a big fan of Israel/Bibi but common sense tells me, if I slap them in the face they will slap me back harder

[angrychair]

17. So disagreeing with bombing civilians

Is now antisemitic?

So unless with agree with everything Israel says and does we are antisemitic?

If you take the position that no one is allowed to question Israeli actions then you are already losing.
Plus, what is the difference between that and if someone says "unless you agree with everything the US Government says you are a traitor" because, on the surface, there is no difference.

[ripcord]

20. So you are fine with the fact that Jewish students not feeling on campus?

People compare this with the Vietnam protests but the Vietman protesters weren't attacking other students religion.

[angrychair]

22. That's a broad brush

You're painting with. Not all protests or protestors, are doing that. In fact I would argue it's a vocal minority.
I've been in a lot of protests over the years and not everyone is on the same page in a protest and some people are there just to be chaos agents and get attention.
To crush all protests is anti-American. People have a right to peacefully assemble and protest, even if they say things you don't like.

Protesting is not clean and perfect and it's not meant to be.
I hate to imagine the world that crushed protests like they do now.
Civil rights for people of color, LGBTQ+ and women would look very different.

[ripcord]

23. Any incidents of anti-semitism should shut downthe protest

Civil rights protests weren't attacking religions or other students. It might be time to start looking into Title VI violations.

[angrychair]

31. Totally against antisemitism

But again, seems convenient that someone yells "antisemitism" and gets all protests against Israel's and the US treatment of Gaza shut down without unequivocal proof. The bar should be very very high to break up a protest, even one we do not agree with.
If there are individual chaos agents spewing hate and antisemitic slurs then that individual should be removed once proof has been gathered to support their removal.

But a blanket shutting down of all protests just because they don't support Israel's position in Gaza is is an absolute "no" from me and always will be.
Same is true for white nationalist protests. I would literally go to war to stop white nationalists taking over this country but they have as much right to protest stuff as anyone else.

[Celerity]

39. Pro-Israel Agitator Shouts 'Kill the Jews,' Gets Everyone Else Arrested

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218902071

Pro-Israel Groups Pushed for Warrantless Spying on Protesters

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218900325

Student Gaza protests: top Republicans call on Biden to send in federal officers

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218888306

The grim history of using troops against student protesters

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218902026

A friendly reminder: only 15% of Biden supporters said Israel is NOT committing genocide against Palestinian civilians

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218887683

U.S. Aid to Israel in Four Charts

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218877810

[mopinko]

24. nobody at columbia is bombing anything.

and i dont know what investments they have in israel, but i doubt it’s bomb factories.
more likely research operations.
nobody here is taking the position that u cant criticize israel. ppl do it allllll day long here. it may b a fine line, but there is a line. from what i’ve seen, a whoooole lot to these activists r way, way over that line.

[mcar]

25. I do not believe any other group

would have been allowed and enabled to go this long. One has to wonder if these leaders are either afraid or antisemitic.

[LexVegas]

27. That will make freedom fighter apologists mad. nt

[MOMFUDSKI]

28. Rock meets hard place.

I am popping corn.🌽

[duckworth969]

29. Mistake

[Cha]

32. Message From a Gazan to Campus Protesters: You're Hurting the Palestinian Cause

By Hamza Howidy
Palestinian from Gaza City

Protests are spreading across the United States at college campuses, where university students are gathering in the name of Palestinian rights and occupying campus spaces with tents. Sadly, not everyone who purports to support Palestinians is truly interested in safeguarding our rights.

It pains me to say this as a Palestinian from Gaza. As my home is destroyed and too many killed, I never thought I would find myself criticizing those speaking up. And yet, I cannot be silent about what I am seeing. The truth is that the manner in which many gather to voice their support for Palestinians does more to hurt our cause than help it.

You know what would help the Palestinians in Gaza? Condemning Hamas' atrocities. Instead, the protesters routinely chant their desire to "Globalize the Intifada." Apparently they do not realize that the Intifadas were disastrous for both Palestinians and Israelis, just as October 7 has been devastating for the people of Gaza.

They should be speaking up for the innocent victims of Hamas—both Palestinian and Israeli. Instead, they endorse Hamas's ideology with posters announcing resistance "by any means necessary" and chants of "from the river to the sea," effectively glorifying the Al-Qassam brigades, Hamas' military wing, whose ideology is entirely based on the elimination of more than 6 million Israelis from the land.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=18906153

[BannonsLiver]

35. Some the responses in the thread are interesting

I don’t detect a lot of shits being given for students who worked for 4 years to get to this moment only to have all of the events around it ruined by performative cosplay weirdos who have become entranced in some kind of savior complex over an issue they have basically no ability to change meaningfully. That’s where the limp, low lying fruit comparisons to Vietnam protests wilt and die.