University protests and Palestine: The exam question Biden can’t get right | Analysis

University protests and Palestine: The exam question Biden can’t get right | Analysis

all across the US students are in [Music] uproar in New York Texas California and everywhere in between campuses have been seized by encampments and demonstrations in support of [Music] Palestine that’s created something of a crisis for University administrat who are facing demands that their institutions divest from companies that are linked to Israel cancel projects linked to Israeli universities and condemn what the protesters describe as a genocide in Gaza peacefully protesting uh to end the University’s complicity in the genocide against the Palestinians which has killed over 34,000 Palestinians they’ve also been faced with a surge in anti-semitic hate speech the targeting of Jewish students and some support for hamas’s Attack on Israel on October 7th for those in charge of these Elite institutions dealing with these protests is a delicate Balancing Act between safeguarding free speech on campus which is a major political talking point for the right and protecting students and their studies from attacks and threats one of those caught in the crossfire is baroness shaik the president of the University of Colombia shaik is a former White Hall Mandarin and a Deputy Governor of the bank of England so she’s no stranger to Fierce debates about foreign policy but her university has become the epicenter of what was now become a global student Uprising over Gaza not after she threatened students who refused to leave a tent encampment at University with suspension some of them invaded a university building and had to be removed on Tuesday night by the NYPD she says she had no choice but to involve the police because the protesters are breaking the law but she’s already being accused by students of turning the university into an authoritarian dictatorship and supporting Israel Over the conflict in Gaza at the University of Texas UCLA and others administrators have taken a zero tolerance approach sending in the police to remove protesters who refuse to leave of course American students protesting is hardly a new phenomenon but the latest gazar encampments are already being compared to some of the biggest campus demonstrations of all time over the Vietnam War in 1968 and aparted South Africa in the [Music] 1980s the protesters claim that they’re on the right side of History and they hope that their encampments will do more than change University policy they’re hoping to send a message all the way to the White House the lead up to the next presidential election has already been dominated by debates about Joe Biden’s response to hamas’s attacks on Israel on October the 7th and his support for Israel which is described as Ironclad the president has been tough on the protesters so far there should be no place on any campus no place in America for anti-Semitism or threats of violence against Jewish students there is there’s no place for hate speech or violence of any kind whether it’s anti-Semitism islamophobia or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans other Democrats including Eric Adams the mayor of New York have said that police will continue to break up the demonstrations that cross the line between peaceful protests and MOB rule on campus Donald Trump Mr Biden’s opponent in November’s election has blamed the White House for allowing students to become radicalized to every College president I say remove the encampments immediately Vanquish the radicals and take back our campuses for all of the normal students who want a safe place from which to learn obviously Gaza is a long way from the US and many voters might not have given much thought to the war when thinking about how they’ll cast their vote in November but for a lot of people here these protests have turned the war into a live political issue an issue for which many think that Joe Biden is responsible the university officials that I’ve spoken to are desperately hoping to get to the end of this Academic Year and the graduation cere without the situation getting worse in the meantime students are heading home for the summer and some are expected to take their protest to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August the students are digging in their heels they’re asking Joe Biden an exam question which he probably feels he’ll never be able to answer correctly the election deadline is looming and the anxiety dreams in the White House are only getting worse this is going away anytime soon [Music]

In New York, LA, Texas and everywhere in between, campuses have been seized by encampments and demonstrations in support of Palestine.

Police have moved in to dismantle a sit-in protest at Columbia, and clashed with Gaza protesters in California.
#protest #university #palestine

The protests have created something of a crisis for university administrators, who have been faced with demands that their institutions divest from companies linked to Israel, cancel planned projects with Israeli universities, and condemn what the protesters describe as “genocide” in Gaza.

They have also been faced with a surge of anti-Semitic hate speech, the targeting of Jewish students, and some support for the October 7 attacks.

For those in charge of these elite institutions, dealing with these protests is a delicate balancing act between safeguarding free speech on campus – a major talking point for the political right – and protecting students and their studies from threats and disruption.

Continue reading full article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/02/university-protests-and-palestine-biden/

Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube

Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK’s best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.