I'm sure Naomi Klein's speech at the Columbia University protests, on the day of the Jewish Passover, Seder, has been posted and shared by many already here, but I wanted to do so myself. She speaks with such power, clarity, and moral authority. Amazing person
On a side note, it's quite something to watch a prestigious US university, the leadership of an entire institution, show the idiocy of the Streisand Effect on such a scale. 'See an idea you don't like, misrepresent it grossly, have a fit, clamp down, call in the stormtroopers'. It's an old playbook that always fails, and eventually, realising they've only magnified the voices they would silence, rather than back down, the temptation is to then open fire #columbiauniversity#Protests
A Palestinian child walks past a tent with a ‘thank you’ message dedicated to students at Columbia University in New York, at the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza on Saturday [Haitham Imad/EPA]
#Columbia Scolds Students for “Unsanctioned” #GazaRally Where They Were Attacked With Chemicals
Two people reportedly sprayed an odious chemical at protesters, leaving students with burning eyes, nausea, and chest pain.
by Prem Thakker
January 22 2024
"University responded to reports of students being injured by a chemical attack against an on-campus rally for Gaza by chiding students for holding protests without official authorization. Meanwhile, students told The Intercept that even as the school’s public safety department has said it is investigating the incident, school administrators themselves have yet to contact the victims — some of whom have had to seek medical care for their injuries.
"During a rally on Friday, according to attendees, two individuals sprayed a hazardous chemical that released an odious smell. Dozens of students have reported an array of symptoms, such as burning eyes, nausea, headaches, abdominal and chest pain, and vomiting.
"The campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine publicized the incident on Saturday morning, identifying the substance as 'skunk,' a chemical weapon used by the Israel Defense Forces against Palestinians and one that U.S. #police departments have reportedly acquired in the past. SJP also alleged that the assailants have ties to the Israel Defense Forces, a claim that The Intercept could not independently confirm.
"#RashidKhalidi, a renowned #PalestinianAmerican historian who teaches at Columbia, said that university administrators should respect the student protesters’ motivations. 'For a lot of young people, this is one of the most significant events, worst #HumanitarianCrises, certainly in their lifetimes,' said Khalidi. 'And many of them have a strong sense of justice and see injustice. I think university administrators — whatever alumni and whatever donors and whatever trustees are telling them, and whatever the politicians are saying, and whatever the media bias leans towards — I think they have to respect that that’s what’s driving a lot of these students: a strong sense of injustice.'"
Young people are often the impetus behind political demonstrations -- and these past two weeks have been no different. I've recently created a topic space on @Flipboard where you can catch all the latest news, opinion, and commentary surrounding the protests sweeping college campuses across North America. Check it out below:
> The blanket suspension of student protesters casts “serious doubt on the University’s respect for the rule-of-law values that we teach,” 54 law professors wrote.
Tomorrow is the anniversary of when #ColumbiaUniversity students took the dean hostage and seized the building in protest of #LandTheft and stealing of resources from nearby Harlem, and later also protesting the Vietnam War.
"I take out $50,000 in student loans every single year, and it sucks. I have to work 20 hours a week to pay off the interest. I hate sitting here knowing I’m working my ass off only so my money can go to supporting genocide."
You'd better realize disability justice, Palestinian liberation, and SO many more causes are all tied together in this one movement and show solidarity.
Without the Black Panthers, we disabled people would not have succeeded in this occupation of a federal building.
These same people also called for the liberation of Palestinians. From a press conference in 1970, “We support the Palestinian’s just struggle for liberation one hundred percent. We will go on doing this, and we would like for all of the progressive people of the world to join in our ranks in order to make a world in which all people can live."
Even back then, people claimed these Black folks were "racists in reverse" and called them antisemitic. This pattern would continue to be used to silence people. Hell, remember when the BLM movement came under fire for its support of Palestine while Palestinians painted murals of George Floyd?
When you come to realize Black people have higher rates of Disability than the white population because of garbage our police state puts them through, you should start to get it. We ALL must fight against colonizers across the world.
New York Police Department officers in riot gear break into a building at Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian students were barricaded inside, in New York City on April 30, 2024 [Kena Betancur/AFP]
#NYC Cop Mayor Eric Adams is infantilizing the #ColumbiaUniversity students by calling them "children" who need the cops in riot gear to protect them from "outside agitators."
Es würde helfen, zu unterscheiden, was wahre Proteste im Sinne der Gesellschaft sind oder konzertierte Aktionen terroristischer Organisationen.
Lies doch mal, was Audrey Kurth Cronin oder hier Dalia Ziada schreiben. Erhebe dich über die Situation und betrachte es einmal von der Ferne, mit Abstand.
Eine Protestszene mit einer Person, die eine palästinensische Flagge im Vordergrund hält, und einer Betonstruktur mit dem Graffiti "JOE BIDEN KILLS KIDS". Im Hintergrund ist eine Menschenmenge zu sehen, einige halten Fahnen, #FreePalestine#ColumbiaUniversity#GWU 8E# #Hamas#Israel#Gaza La# öjc# #ampsPot JOE BIDEN
TikTok CEO #ShouZiChew has said the company will take the fight against the new law to the courts, but some experts believe that for the #US#SupremeCourt, national security considerations could outweigh #FreeSpeech protection.