American education institutions are presently in disarray, with takeover by protestors in buildings at Columbia University and strikes in progress at the University of California, in Los Angeles. On the Austin grounds of the University of Texas, students were forcefully removed by local law enforcement and state troopers. Barricades were torn down and hurled at George Washington University, situated a short stroll from the White House.
The initially modest and peaceable protest, started on Columbia’s lawn a couple of weeks ago has escalated, permeating hundreds of educational institutions nationwide. The protest is led by advocates of Palestine, inclusive of teaching staff, voicing their discontent. The impact of their statements is predicted to amplify in November.
In the wake of Tuesday’s events, the strained management at Columbia acknowledged that their students had obtained access to Hamilton Hall – a building notorious for being captured during student protests against the Vietnam war in 1968. In enhancement of their stand, students fortified the structure’s exits with tables and furniture. The University stressed the critical importance of community safety and advised those who could abstain from coming in to do so.
The demonstrators reject accusations of anti-Semitism, with one protestor stating their actions were instead aimed at shedding light on the genocide taking place in Gaza, funded by the US Government and indirectly profited by the university.
Four Irish students studying at Columbia discussed their view on the tense events that have unfolded over the past two weeks. Besides affecting their daily academic activities and leisure, the protests had led to inspiring collective action.
One particular student studying under a joint programme between Columbia and Trinity College Dublin found the situation stressful and nerve-wracking. A fellow undergraduate reported a surge in Islamophobia on campus, mentioning that the severest incidents of verbal abuse had taken place outside the campus limits.
Peter Gorman conveyed that the decision of the university management to involve the NYC police to disperse the protesters on the university greens on April 17th was a consequence of extreme pressures from above. This action followed a congressional hearing investigating purported instances of anti-Semitism in prestigious educational institutions. Gorman indicated a rising concern, even within the neuroscience institute he is associated with, regarding potential threats to the termination of funding support.
The impasse lies in reconciling the rights of peaceful protesting safeguarded by the US constitution’s first amendment against the controversial claim that these academic demonstrations display an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic intention, escalating with the growing scale and visibility of the protests.
Brian Cohen, the head of Columbia’s Kraft Centre for Jewish Student Life, emphasised on Monday, that these protests are not about territorial disputes or conflicts involving Gaza and Hamas, but are inspired by faculty members and students who object to Israel’s existence as a Jewish nation. The message he sees being circulated is an unwelcome one for Zionists, Jewish students, and Israelis on the university premises.
On a particularly warm Monday afternoon at George Washington University (GWU), many students were observed taking refuge in the shade, juggling their responsibility of submitting end-of-term essays while trying to keep themselves and their gadgets from overheating. Despite the protesters’ efforts to dismantle the barriers around their encampment in the wee hours and maintaining a laid-back atmosphere, their commitment to their cause remained firm and sober.
Miriam, a key figure in the long-term protest movement who chooses to only share her first name, has been working with press outlets to share their message. She emphasized that their cause goes beyond any academic attainment, noting that they’ve even established their own form of educational setting. They engage in mutual learning, having established cultural exchanges that saw an evening of poetry and music most recently.
The student protesters at GWU seek similar objectives to those at Columbia and beyond: defending the freedom of pro-Palestinian speech, demanding the university drop charges against all protest groups, seeking financial transparency from the university, and pressing for disinvestment from Israel. According to Miriam, the university’s retort has been rather repressive; restricting bathroom access and imposing suspensions on several students.
Miriam, who was underage at the time of the last elections noted that her outlook had since broadened, “Despite the protest being targeted at the institution it is also a calling out of the government. They have been involved and even supportive of the alleged genocide occurring in Palestine, channeling billions in military aid to Israel. Located at the heart of the national capital, we hope the government takes notice. We’re committed to continuing our protest till the Palestinian people are free,” she stated.
Columbia stands as the focal point of what is rapidly becoming a national protest tide, drawing the constant attention of various media outlets, with multiple cameras fixed on Hamilton Hall. The university grounds itself are strangely subdued with several classes having been called off and student presence markedly reduced. It was just a week ago that Mike Johnson, addressing a gathering on the steps of the Low Library, expressed his discontent stating extreme ideologies had overrun the institution’s cherished traditions, turning Jewish students into targets. According to him, these students have been pursued, ridiculed and disparaged by protestors. He was forced to pause his speech temporarily as his voice was overtaken by protestors’ chants but resumed shortly after with an critical comment on the freedom of speech.
A week since that incident, Johnson announced a crack down on anti-Semitism likening it to a virus that was pervading the institution and scheduled a press conference for later in the day to expand on the implications of the announcement.