Again, there were countless ways for the administration to calm things down but they chose to escalate it every step of the way. And now they’ve bringing cops in riot gear to clear out their own students.
Make no mistake: If someone gets hurt, it is absolutely entirely on them.
Sending armed riot cops onto a college campus is a CHOICE. Escalating the situation at virtually every turn is a CHOICE. Turning the violent, coercive force of the state against your students is a CHOICE. The eagerness with which Columbia, NYC, and NYPD leadership are cheering on carnage is a CHOICE
It really makes me wonder what secret shit is going on that Columbia doesn't want to stop but can't disclose that it's worth this much violence and controversy.
Where's there's this much smoke, ya know?
What in the fuck is worth all this?
The students want the school to divest from Israel as it continues it's genocide in its apartheid state. The school must think the blood money is worth this.
When talking with my mom, this was the hardest thing to get her to comprehend. It doesn't matter if you think their ideas or tactics are wrong. If the response is wildly inappropriate, things will escalate. It's gotten worse for everyone b/c of the "hard on rules/crime" mentality.
Indeed, the Columbia AAUP issued a statement making it clear that higher admin refused their offers to mediate. Which, you know, might have avoided this dumpster fire.
At Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, CA the uni shipped in off-duty San Francisco PD in riot gear, sending them in w/ Sheriff’s Dept last night. An ‘unlawful assembly’ was called at 9pm, w/ 15 min warnings issued every half hour until arrests began at 3am. 25 students and one journalist were arrested.
The administration does not run Columbia University (which has shown remarkable restraint) or New York City. And didn't the protesters trash a building and lock themselves in just yesterday?:
I am looking forward to learning how many of the protesters are actually students. At my local university, the first group arrested had twelve total, three of whom were students.
In the second round, 100 were arrested; that included twenty-three students and four faculty members. We understand the event was organized with help from the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a group whose goal is to overthrow the government.
