Common Dreams reports: “‘All Because Columbia Refuses to Divest’: Police Storm Campus, Violently Arrest Dozens.” Columbia University associate professor Joseph Howley says allegations of “antisemitism” are being weaponized against pro-Palestinian student protesters.
SEBASTIAN BALDERAS, sebastianhbalderas@gmail.com, @cybersebb
Balderas is a senior at Columbia University. He was one of the students profiled in Daze Digital.
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine states: “TO BE CLEAR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HAS CALLED THE COPS ONTO ITS OWN STUDENTS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO WEEKS, ON THE 56TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN THEY LAST CALLED THE POLICE ONTO CAMPUS TO ARREST OVER 700 PROTESTING THE VIETNAM WAR & HARLEM GENTRIFICATION ON APRIL 30TH, 1968”
Columbia University Apartheid Divest calls upon the University to divest its endowment from companies that profit from Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights. See the group’s statement on the student takeover of “Hind Hall,” renaming Hamilton Hall for Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl from Gaza killed by the Israeli military with her family and the medics who tried to help. The same hall was taken over in 1985 by students and named Mandela Hall.
BRYCE GREENE, greenebj@iu.edu, @TheGreeneBJ
Greene is a graduate student at Indiana University. He states that peaceful protesters in a tent were met with snipers on the roof, dozens of arrests, violence by state troopers with military equipment, helicopters and drones. He said: “The real reason they repress us is that we are supporting a movement that is against genocide. The reason students are so passionate is that this is nothing compared to what is going on in Gaza. At least we have universities. Israel has blown up university after university in Gaza.” He has been suspended for five years. He was just interviewed by Katie Halper. See Instagram account for the local chapter of Palestine Solidarity Committee.
The Los Angeles Times reports that at UCLA: “Just before midnight, a large group of counter-demonstrators, wearing black outfits and white masks, arrived on campus and tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the encampment.” See student statement.
MOATAZ SALIM, moatazs97@gmail.com, Instagram: @tazsdc
Salim is a Palestinian graduate student at George Washington University with family in Gaza. He has lost over 100 members of his extended family. He has gone to Capitol Hill to question members of Congress with the peace group CodePink. See a recent interview.
RAFI EL-HABASHI, georgetownsjp@gmail.com, @dmvsjp
El-Habashi is a media liaison for Georgetown Students for Justice in Palestine and DMV SJP Coalition. Students from Georgetown and several other colleges and universities are now encamped at George Washington University.
Journalist Talia Jane commented: “I have covered tons of protests over the years and the cop response to Columbia University tonight was more than I’ve ever seen. It felt like they were using these student protestors as an excuse to play with their military toys.”
See Jewish Voice for Peace resource on Israeli training of U.S. police at Deadly Exchange.
