Forum/Discussions

Student Protests Are Spreading Across US

Junious Ricardo Stanton

Since Israel’s heavy handed response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks there has been a growing antipathy towards Tel Aviv’s ethnic cleansing and genocide. People of good realize the Zionist regime has far exceeded any sane notions of “defense” or even an attempt to retaliate against Hamas for their attacks upon Israel, Israeli citizens to force the return of an untold number of Israelis who are being held hostage. The government of South Africa courageously filed a petition and took the Israeli government before the International Criminal Court at the Hague on charges of genocide.

In the US collage students have been protesting and holding demonstrations against the Israeli campaign to depopulate Gaza and Palestine. Columbia University has been in the news lately as campus protests have caused a sharp divide among students, the administration and the city. The student demonstrations have disrupted normal campus complacency as a result, the university administrators have called for a return to virtual classes as of last Monday there is no in class in person learning, the NYC police have arrested over Columbia 100 students and tensions remain high. Several Jewish students have expressed concern for their safety but there have been no indications of physical attacks or violence against them on Columbia’s campus

Students on other campuses around the country are demonstrating in solidarity with their peers at Columbia; Boston U and NC Chapel Hill are holding rallies to support the Columbia students demands for free speech and the right to protest and demonstrate. Yale students are demanding their University divest from MIC weapons manufacturers. Meanwhile several university presidents have threatened to suspend, expel or arrest their students. Vanderbilt, Pomona College in California and Rutgers in NJ have threatened to punish student activists. Howard University students in Washington D.C. have held demonstrations and protests and marched on the administration building accusing their administrators of genocide because of its ties to Israel, the Pentagon and the military.

Now there are tremendous external pressures being brought to bear on university presidents. ,The US Congress has called the president of Columbia to come to Capitol Hill to be chastised and grilled just like they did the presidents of MIT, U of P and Harvard several months ago which lead to the resignations or dismissals of the presidents of Harvard and U of P. Many. In addition prominent donors are threatening to pull funding and university administrators have to walk a fine line between honoring and allowing freedom of expression and maintaining support from key alumni and donors! We are also witnessing the massive clout and influence of the Zionist lobby in this country as they seek to control the narrative and suppress pro-Palestinian support.

It is good to see students engaged and protesting for what they believe is right. The protests have sparked discussion and counter-demonstrations on both side of the issue and a greater call for peace and a cease fire; correct me if I’m in error isn’t this is what freedom of speech is all about? Why the efforts to shut the protests camp in and demonstrations down. Why the one sided attacks on university presidents by the US congress critters?

As for me I side with the South African government who took Israel to the ICC on charges of genocide. Israel is definitely committing war crimes and collective punishment by withholding power, water, humanitarian aid, by bombing hospitals and Gaza’s infrastructure and knowingly targeting civilians. This is wrong and it is abominable the US uncritically supports these war crimes by providing money and material. The US Congress and Senate just passed a $95 billion bill to provide weapons and funding to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan as US infrastructure crumbles and nothing is done about the porous border situaton!

America is losing even more standing in the world due to its support of this war, more of us need to step up, stand up and speak out for PEACE, morality and right not just college kids. Israel has lost the moral high ground on this if they ever had any and the US is complicit in these atrocities.

The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas also raises questions, how is it that Gaza a literal open air concentration camp under constant surveillance and monitoring by Israeli intelligence was able to launch a “surprise” attack on Israel?! How is it until this week, no Israeli military or intelligence personnel were disciplined or fired following the so called “surprise attack”? Did they allow it to happen to justify the genocidal campaign we are now witnessing?

You cannot be neutral on this issue,this is genocide, it is settler occupier ethnic cleansing! The soul of America is at stake here we need to position ourselves on the right side of morality and history on this issue, stand for PEACE.

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