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sef, CNBC Indonesia
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Friday, 03/05/2024 04:44 IWST
Photo: Law enforcement detains a pro-Palestinian protester at the University of Texas, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Austin, Texas, USA April 24, 2024. (REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona)
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Massive demonstrations are still taking place on United States (US) campuses. Wednesday night the police even forcibly arrested students from the elite campus of Columbia University in New York.
Teaching staff said they were “horrified” by the students’ arrest. Previously, the students occupied the Hamilton Hall academic building, to demand Israeli divestment on campus and an end to attacks in Gaza, Palestine.
It was told how just after 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening local time, an NYPD bus was parked outside the hall, filled with arrested students, who were being transported off campus. Police officers at that time were carrying full anti-riot equipment, standing in formation.
“It is appalling to see Columbia invite police to our campus for the second time this month to arrest our students,” said a lecturer at Columbia’s law school, according to The Guardian, quoted Friday (3/5/2024).
“The government says the protests are a nuisance and pose a safety risk,” he added.
“But it is the government itself that has disrupted campus life by locking us off campus, relocating or postponing student exams, bringing in police to arrest students, and inviting police to remain on campus for the next two weeks until graduation,” he added.
Anger at the government also emerged outside Hamilton Hall Wednesday. The crowd of students who persisted with the demonstration shouted their anger.
“We are on the right side of history,” said Palestinian-American historian and professor of modern Arabic studies at Columbia, Rashid Khalidi.
“Shame on our leaders, shame on our administrators, for allowing police onto our campus,” he said.
“The US is part of this war (in Gaza), our taxes, our bombs, our F-15s and Apache helicopters are used to kill Palestinians.”
An English professor at Columbia, Jennifer Wenzel, also mentioned how her heart broke when she saw police tanks come and arrest students.
“I saw police tanks appear on the street, something in my heart broke,” he said.
“I stood up and cried,” he said.
“The managers have violated their agreement with the university and I don’t know that the agreement will be repeated … We already have rules, institutions, and procedures …. they chose to throw all that away.”
In a press conference Manhattan prosecutors said that 280 arrests had been made on the campuses of Columbia and New York University (Cuny). It was suspected that there were “outside agitators”.
But professors and the campus’ student-run radio station, WKCR, said there were only students inside Hamilton Hall. Faculty and non-resident students have been barred from entering campus since Tuesday when a Gaza Solidarity protest encampment that had been set up on Columbia’s main grounds for nearly two weeks was raided by the NYPD and dismantled.
“Last night’s events call for much from the Columbia School of Journalism,” Dean Jelani Cobb said in an email sent to the journalism school’s students and faculty responding to WKCR’s role.
“But we see clearly how journalists’ dedication to the truth helps us all understand what is at stake in times of crisis,” he stressed.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the faculty and staff who worked tirelessly late into the night to ensure the safety of our students, and their continued access to campus,” he said again.
He said Columbia journalism students are now part of history. Where they suffer stories that the global community deserves to hear.
“Your perseverance during this confusing and challenging moment cannot be underestimated. You told the stories the global community deserves to hear. You helped this school achieve its mission,” he added.
It should be noted that the press was also prohibited from entering campus during this dramatic occupation. This led students at Columbia’s journalism school to set up a temporary newsroom in Pulitzer Hall, an academic building where the Pulitzer prizes are awarded, located across the lawn from Hamilton Hall.
Response Biden
Meanwhile, in his latest statement Thursday evening US time, US President Joe Biden gave a press conference. He insisted that “order must be established” on campuses after weeks of chaos, clashes with police and mass arrests.
Biden, who remained silent as student unrest spread, spoke for only a few hours. He said that freedom of speech and the rule of law must be respected in protests on campuses over Israel’s war on Gaza.
“We are not an authoritarian country that requires us to silence people or silence dissent,” said Biden, who is now facing criticism from all sides of the political spectrum over the demonstrations. AFP.
“But we are also not a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must be maintained,” he added.
On the other hand, Republicans accused him of being soft on what they said was anti-Semitic sentiment among the protesters. Meanwhile Biden himself has faced widespread opposition from his own party over his strong support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
“There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for anti-Semitism, or threats of violence against Jewish students,” Biden said.
Most Democratic Country?
On the other hand, social media pages are now busy with netizens’ scathing comments regarding democracy in the US. CNN International’s Instagram (IG) social media page, for example, is filled with sarcastic comments from netizens about “the value of the US as a democratic country”.
“The US is the same country that Iran and Russia often criticize in breaking up demonstrations. Ironic,” said the account thatjustzihan which got 2694 likes.
“You mentioned the land of democracy – since when do you attack peaceful protesters,” said the account Israizzy.
“So, peaceful protests are not a thing in this country anymore?,” said the account imissboogy.
Watch the video below:
Video: Hundreds of Students Demonstrate in the US to Defend Palestine, Are Indonesian Citizens Participating?
(sef/sef)
