Palestine college student protest megathread

[Brittain33]

This person is vile but I highly doubt these are the kinds of protests that have one single, clearly-identified "leader". He's probably one prominent loud voice among others.

This is the student leader Columbia is negotiating with.

People who think the focus is unfair, should watch the footage of their Zoom with the disciplinary committee. Miss Kristallnacht LaBeija makes for extremely compelling watching in her certainty in her sense of justice, and as a Zionist I am terrified that she may get a larger bully pulpit.

[Brittain33]

Lol, you're doing it again

Do all Zionists deserve to die, Horus?

[Brittain33]

I don't even understand the valedictorian situation. Being the valedictorian doesn't mean you've won a sweepstakes and have been awarded a free audience for your stupid political opinions. If anything, I'm kind of surprised that students don't submit their speeches ahead of time for approval. Obviously high school is a lot different, but I seem to remember all of the speeches in my high school graduation being limited to a very specific amount of time and I can't imagine they'd have been allowed to rant about irrelevant current events.

In her case, she was chosen by other students out of like a 100 candidates so there probably is a case that she was picked by her friends and allies who wanted to use the opportunity to educate everyone about Palestine, all Israelis are white supremacists with dual passports, USC parents can’t hide / she charges them with genocide, etc. She did not have a uniquely high GPA.

[Brittain33]

Lol, you're doing it again

Do all Zionists deserve to die, Horus?

The mod council isn't sending their best.

I've never actually seen a problem with Britt's moderation, he's just a drama queen. Mr. X, otoh...

I’m only a moderator on some of the lesser election boards and I show up on election nights and special election nights to keep threads from getting out of control, but that’s about all that’s called for. I don’t have moderation rights on this forum.

[Brittain33]

Its not the international students who are protesting lol

Shortly after October 7, several students who blocked buildings at MIT to protest Israel asked not to be disciplined because it would cause visa issues. (Ignore the link is Fox News. This was widely reported at the time.)

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mit-faces-backlash-not-expelling-anti-israel-protesters-visa-issues

A Harvard graduate student who lost his RA position after a run-in with another student was African.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/11/11/thayer-proctor-relief-of-duties/

[Brittain33]

Is there any proof, whatsoever, that any significant amount of the students protesting are international, or do you just see some muslims praying once or twice at a protest and make assumptions?

See my recent post about international students being involved in incidents at both MIT and Harvard last fall. I don't think this information becomes readily available until the student is disciplined.

[Brittain33]

We 👏 paid 👏 for 👏 our 👏 meal 👏 plan!

[Brittain33]

https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1785436629655572647

Ugh, Jeet Heer. One of the more dishonest sophists on Twitter when it comes to Jews starting well before October 7. Yes, what's been happening on Columbia's campus is just "legitimate criticism of Israel" and let's ignore both some of the more colorful criticism and the impact such calm moves as (reads notes) occupying a building has on a university before finals and graduation.

[Brittain33]

https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1785436629655572647

Ugh, Jeet Heer. One of the more dishonest sophists on Twitter when it comes to Jews starting well before October 7. Yes, what's been happening on Columbia's campus is just "legitimate criticism of Israel" and let's ignore both some of the more colorful criticism and the impact such calm moves as (reads notes) occupying a building has on a university before finals and graduation.

Regardless of who Jeet Heer is, or how the protesters at Columbia specifically are behaving, that tweet is 100% accurate

No, it’s just not, and asserting doesn’t make it so. Israeli absolutely should be subject to criticism but the people being arrested at buildings were the same ones releasing statements on October 7 expressing unwavering solidarity with Palestinian resistance and attributing 100% of blame for “unfolding violence” to Israel. There has been deliberate conflation between understandable anger and despair at the ongoing suffering of Gazans and West Bank Palestinians at the hands of Israel and its quasi-fascist leaders and a movement to completely delegitimize the state of Israel “from the River to the Sea” with “Intifada Revolution” 60-80 years after the Arab world happily dumped 800,000 Jewish refugees there along with the Holocaust survivors Eastern Europe booted out, too. The Overton window for legitimate criticism of Israel in the UK is significantly off from what it is in the U.S. and they aren’t dragging ours over.

Yes, some leaders like Gov. Abbott are abusing the situation to score points but what is obvious is people portraying these protests as what they want them to be rather in an ideal world. I’ll see you Greg Abbott and raise you Diane Abbott.

“Regardless of Jeet Heer is…” if I went to a UK thread with my Massachusetts avatar and started dropping Piers Morgan tweets to steer the conversation I can guess how well that would be received.

[Brittain33]

It doesn't matter if Marjorie Taylor Greene herself tweeted it. It's either accurate or not accurate. Regardless of whether the person tweeting it is trustworthy or a clown. A broken clown is right twice a day.

Jeet Heer is clearly framing the incident as part of a larger question which is not about one clip in one university which I’m taking issues with and this is exactly what I’m taking issue with as sophistry.

It’s really no different from showing a clip of one of the Hamas fans at one of these protests and then shaking your head at the pervasive anti-Semitism of people protesting. “But he’s literally wearing a Hamas headband!” doesn’t make the larger framing less tendentious. (Note - some people here do use pics like that to claim pervasive anti-Semitism among students! Think how that makes you feel.)

[Brittain33]

Why am I reminded of this

https://www.theonion.com/fox-defends-airing-of-when-jews-attack-1819564254

LOS ANGELES—In the face of widespread public outcry, Fox TV executives spoke out Monday in defense of last week's airing of When Jews Attack.

The hour-long, Robert Urich-hosted show—which its detractors are decrying as "shock TV at its basest" and "a sickening appeal to voyeuristic, lowest-common denominator tendencies"—features explicit, uncensored video footage of enraged Jews violently striking out at others.

[Brittain33]

Did you see this one? Shortly before the NYPD went into Hamilton Hall, this Columbia protester was demanding that the university provide the students with "humanitarian aid":

https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1785386376755900611

Well now that seems disingenuous. If you watch the video the student states clearly they're not asking the school to provide anything they just want a commitment that the school will not stop them from bringing it in themselves.

The description is clearly mocking beyond what she actually said BUT the way she talked about their entitlement to their meal plan and whether Columbia is respecting them as part of a community shows she really has no sense of what norms she and her allies were breaking in occupying a building and how unrealistic they were in expecting the university not to use reasonable leverage to get them out. They weren’t entitled to get deliveries of food while illegally occupying a building!

[Brittain33]

It doesn't matter if Marjorie Taylor Greene herself tweeted it. It's either accurate or not accurate. Regardless of whether the person tweeting it is trustworthy or a clown. A broken clown is right twice a day.

This is how we got people in the Israel/Gaza thread defending using Jake Shields tweets.

No, some people shouldn't be used to make any assertion that is to be believed.

If the person tweeting is providing information, then depending on who the person is, some people should not be trusted. I am in 100% agreement with you on that.

If the person tweeting is simply providing a take, and not offering any new information (or "information"), then the take itself can be judged on it's own merits, regardless of who the person providing the take is.

If Jake Shields or Piers Morgan provides a “take”, it’s not just reasonable, it’s responsible to consider their perspective and framing and the history of their takes. That’s what separates a public personality from a rando.

[Brittain33]

If Jake Shields or Piers Morgan provides a “take”, it’s not just reasonable, it’s responsible to consider their perspective and framing and the history of their takes. That’s what separates a public personality from a rando.

Sometimes bad people have good takes. If you can't admit that, then there's no point engaging further with you on this topic.

Well we’re clearly not getting through to each other, so I can agree on that.

[Brittain33]

Also at UCLA. So brave. So moral.

https://twitter.com/Esqueer_/status/1784711628312768780?t=AuX8me36Z3bESvEMxCPMaA...

Proof this is a real Zionist and not an agent provocateur? I have never personally experienced a Zionist using the n-word.

[Brittain33]

Also at UCLA. So brave. So moral.

https://twitter.com/Esqueer_/status/1784711628312768780?t=AuX8me36Z3bESvEMxCPMaA...

Proof this is a real Zionist and not an agent provocateur? I have never personally experienced a Zionist using the n-word.

I know that you're trying to be funny, but he's already been identified as the owner of Kaminsky's gym in LA. He has been a hardcore Zionist for at least as long as he has had a presence on Instagram.

How do we know that’s his Instagram account? No intelligent business owner would expose himself to that risk. I’m skeptical. What’s the Palestinian version of hasbara? I saw a video clip saying that the link to that person was completely debunked.

[Brittain33]

Nice to see the brave Jewish students at UCLA take things into their own hands after their school failed them so completely.

Any argument you ever make about 'law and order' ever again ----> Out the window.

We have people whose response to Hamas’s atrocities on October 7 was to whitewash rape as resistance and attribute all cruelty, torture, and murder to Israel who pivoted immediately to asking for a ceasefire and expressing concern about innocent civilians and collective punishment. Shamelessness has never been an obstacle to protesting and fighting for your side.

[Brittain33]

Nice to see the brave Jewish students at UCLA take things into their own hands after their school failed them so completely.

Any argument you ever make about 'law and order' ever again ----> Out the window.

Defending yourself against a mob when the corrupt authorities refuse to IS law and order.

You don't get to go to the "mob", heavy use on air quotes there, and claim you are defending yourself.

Thanks Kyle Rittenhouse.

This post is deranged vigilantism and I thank you for it, cause it's just the real angst y'all have been hiding behind the police.

UCLA’s troubles started with protesters occupying a chunk of campus and turning away Jewish students who didn’t agree with their cause from paths. Solidarity isn’t only for people in keffiyehs.

[Brittain33]

Was she a fan of Trump or just bitter about Biden stealing the nomination from Bernie?

[Brittain33]

These are the 'foreign, outside influences' that apparently are the bulk of the protest movement. Lmao.

What percentage of the students who have been protesting on the lawns at Columbia and outside the gates recently took part in the occupation of Hamilton Hall which led to the arrests? I think it was probably 5% or fewer.

I don’t think you want to make the argument that the low number of non-students arrested at Hamilton Hall proves that the people chanting to burn down Tel Aviv outside the gates and holding signs up asking counter-protesters to be bombed were definitely students.

[Brittain33]

Most pro-Palestine users condemn anti-semetism and assault / violence, genius.

Proof? Or is this just something you “know” because you’re certain you’re the good guys?

[Brittain33]

Most pro-Palestine users condemn anti-semetism and assault / violence, genius.

Proof? Or is this just something you “know” because you’re certain you’re the good guys?

This is a civil rights protest for Palestinian civilians. "Divest from Israel" (so that you aren't supporting harm being done by Israel to Palestinian civilians).

I'm not the one making the bold claim. It's a civil rights protest by left wing college students. A normal thing done by left wing college students in USA history. YOU are the one making the bold claim that the majority of these protestors are racists. Since YOU are the one making the bold claim, the burden is on YOU to provide evidence and reasoning for your bold claim.

Wow. Want to run that by me again - either with a direct quote or with reference to your claim I was disagreeing with? I understand you’re upset but you’re losing the plot. Please read your statement that I was responding to again and then maybe log off for a few minutes.

I did not make that claim. What alarmed me on October 7 and every day since is not that protesters are anti-Semitic or violent, but how comfortable and, some, pleased they are to have “brave” people willing to go the extra distance and use those tools in service of a ”righteous” cause. Which is reflected by how rarely or half-heartedly they condemn violence or anti-Semitism and are much more likely to “whatabout” it or make excuses or deny it happened. Read the statements from Ryna Workman and the Harvard coalition if you have any doubts.

Bragging about how elated you felt on October 7 and breaking out the knafeh for a street party isn’t violent itself but it promotes violence by others.

[Brittain33]

And in that vein - any base satisfaction I could get from the vigilantes attacking the UCLA encampment, I disown and condemn along with their actions. It is not the way forward.

[Brittain33]

Maybe they’re anticipating emergency dental work (and it just happens to be listed along with HIV tests and Plan B). At least no one requested lube

[Brittain33]

The Palestinians are the bad guys in the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Woo boy. You lost me here. Hamas is clearly a bad guy but Netanyahu and his supporters left no route to an enduring peace before Oct. 7 and have been aggressively making things worse.