Columbia suspends over 65 students following pro-Palestinian protest in library

[question everything]

Source: AP/Yahoo

NEW YORK (AP) -- Columbia University has suspended dozens of students and barred alums and others who participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration inside the school's main library earlier this week, a school spokesperson said Friday.

The Ivy League institution in Manhattan placed more than 65 students on interim suspension and barred 33 others, including those from affiliated institutions such as Barnard College, from setting foot on campus.

Interim suspension generally means that a student cannot come to campus, attend classes or participate in other university activities, according to Columbia's website. The university declined to say how long the disciplinary measures would be in place, saying only that the decisions are pending further investigation. An undisclosed number of alums who also participated in the protest are also now prevented from entering school grounds, according to Columbia.

The mask-clad protesters pushed their way past campus security officers, raced into the building and hung Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves. Some protesters also scrawled phrases on library furniture and picture frames, including "Columbia will burn."


Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/columbia-suspends-over-65-students-012128669.html

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Rubio is threatening deportation. If any of them is not a US citizen than they are too dumb to earning a degree

[kelly1mm]

1. Part of civil disobedience is accepting the legal consequences of your actions. nt

[iemanja]

2. You mean the Trump consequences

Would you have supported the expulsion of Vietnam war protestors too? Or is it only those protesting the planned extermination of 2 million Palestinians?

[Ms. Toad]

4. I would have.

And I not only engaged in Vietnam protests which did not violate any laws or school rules, but I engaged in one act of civil disobedience for which I could have been prosecuted for trespass. When I chose to trespass, it was with the knowledge I could have been arrested - and acceptance of up to the maximum legal penalty which could be imposed for trespass.

There are many ways to engage in protest. Some lawful, and some not. Unlawful acts can be very effective - for example living in a 1000 year old tree for 738 days to prevent it from being chopped down - which ultimately saved the tree. It is unlikely any lawful act would have been that effective in saving the tree. But one should never engage in civil disobedience if they are unwilling to accept the consequences of that act - whether it is ultimately imposed or not.

That said - there is nothing unlawful about speaking out in favor of Palestinians. There is nothing unawful about being present in a library during the hours it is open - and no one should be punished by the school or deported for those acts. Shoving past guards and destroying property is unlawful - and if you choose to do so it should be because you have decided that making your point by violating the law is worth whatever (lawful) consequences may be imposed because of it.

[kelly1mm]

5. Yes, of course. That is entirely the point of civil disobedience ...... nt

[SunSeeker]

3. I wish these activists would protest at Republicans' district offices instead of trashing a college library.

They are not winning hearts and minds with this kind of stuff.

[LisaM]

6. They just caused a million $$ worth of damage at the University of Washington.

I understand protests too; I have participated in plenty of marches abd some pickets. I never damaged one thing or pushed past people to storm a building.

Something about this doesn't pass the smell test, I really believe there are some agents provacateurs in the mix.

[DFW]

7. Blocking or obstructing other students from using the college library a week before finals

That is the height of meanness. “My cause is more important than the final exam grades of the thousands of students whose futures may depend on how their final grades turn out.”

Sixty-five people have adopted that stance. They could go harass Republican politicians or Eric Adams at city hall, but no, they choose to make life difficult for thousands of students—some of whom may even agree with their cause, but have other things occupying their minds as well. I notice the so-called protesters didn’t seem overly concerned about other desperate peoples, such as the people of South Sudan or the Burmese Rohingya. Maybe if two thousand students’ final grades come in disappointingly low, the protesters can dance around in Central Park and celebrate their great victory for their cause.

[yardwork]

8. This.

And the this isn't the first time this group at Columbia has harassed people. A year or so ago they locked housekeeping staff into a building with them overnight, preventing them from getting home to their families. And they trashed the building (I guess they assumed the housekeepers could work all night cleaning up the mess.)

When the housekeepers protested at being kidnapped, they were told "this is more important than you."

[DFW]

9. Translated into English: "WE are more important than you."

“So shut up and get lost, these headlines are ours, and ours alone.” They sound just like a group of teabaggers performing for Fox Noise 15 years ago, just more selfish and aggressive.