Protests against the Gaza war, with its high civilian death toll of Palestinians, have posed a challenge to university administrators trying to balance free speech rights with complaints that the rallies have veered into anti-Semitism and hate speech.
For almost two weeks now a wave of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza has swept through US university campuses from coast to coast, after around 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia on Apr 18.
Footage of police in riot gear summoned at various colleges to break up rallies have been viewed around the world, recalling the protest movement that erupted during the Vietnam War.
At the University of California, Los Angeles skirmishes broke out Sunday between pro-Palestinian protesters and supporters of Israel.
TALKS BREAK DOWN
Columbia University president Minouche Shafik, in her statement announcing talks had broken down, said that “many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable” in recent weeks.
“Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy.”
“Anti-Semitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent,” she said.
“One group’s rights to express their views cannot come at the expense of another group’s right to speak, teach, and learn.”
