Attacks on student protests and false claims of antisemitism threaten everyone’s right to free expression.
by Ari Paul, FAIR
With the encouragement of the state, universities from coast to coast are taking draconian steps to silence debate about US-backed violence in the Middle East.
The Columbia University community looked on in shock as cops in riot gear arrested at least 100 pro-Palestine protesters who had set up an encampment in the center of campus (New York Post, 4/18/24). The university’s president, Nemat Shafik, had just the day before testified before a Republican-dominated congressional committee ostensibly concerned with campus “antisemitism”—a label that has come to be misapplied to any criticism of Israel, though the critics so smeared are often themselves Jewish.
A sense of delight has filled the city’s opinion pages. The New York Post editorial board (4/18/24) hailed both the clampdown on protests and Congress’s push to ensure that such drastic action against free speech was taken: “We’re glad to see Shafik stand up…. Congress deserves some credit for putting educrats’ feet to the fire on this issue.” The paper added, “Academia has been handling anti-Israel demonstrations with kid gloves.” In other words, universities have been allowing too many people to think and speak critically about an important issue of the day.
In “At Columbia, the Grown-Ups in the Room Take a Stand,” New York Times columnist Pamela Paul (4/18/24) hailed the eviction, saying of the encampment that for the “passer-by, the fury and self-righteous sentiment on display was chilling,” and that for supporters of Israel, “it must be unimaginably painful.” In other words, conservative pundits have decided that campus safe spaces where speech is banned to protect the feelings of listeners are good, depending on the issue. Would Paul (no relation!) favor bans on pro-Taiwan or pro-Armenia demonstrations because they could offend Chinese and Turkish students?
Recent Posts
The Theft of Bodily Autonomy is Central to the Authoritarian Playbook, and Texas Has Been Its Proving Ground
Take Action Now Texas houses the country’s only family detention centers and has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S., but it is…
Humanity Owes Cuba: Unilateral Coercive Measures and the Politics of Punishment
Take Action Now “There can be no clearer example of a violation of human rights than the economic embargo imposed by the United States against……
Israel Didn’t ‘Drag’ the U.S. Into War—American Hawks Have Wanted This for Decades
Take Action Now Blaming Israel alone for this catastrophe lets U.S. leaders off the hook for their actions.By Khury Petersen-Smith, Institute for…
The Supreme Court Looks Likely to Cave On Mail-in Ballots
Take Action Now The GOP shouldn’t win this case, but the fact that Trump has been throwing a tantrum about it for years means they likely will.By…