Pro-Israeli protestors throwing a firework at the UCLA encampment— credits to FilmThePoliceLA. Link to original tweet. This is extremely dangerous and could have started an uncontrollable blaze and killed people. It’s commin sense. This was an act of intentional violence.
Jews for Palestine had major presence at this encampment, many being physically assaulted by the Zionist protestors.
Hind Rajab is a a 6 year old Palestinian girl who’s entire family was killed. She was stuck in a car with their bodies and was awaiting help. They found her martyred along with the rescuers who tried to save her.
Columbia University students took over Hamilton Hall and named it “Hind’s Hall” to ensure that she and all Palestinians are never forgotten.
No one at UPenn would talk to CNN so they talked to a random 19 year old who wasn’t involved. Unfortunately for these bad-faith actors, the student had an informed opinion.
As the crackdown in retaliation to the student protests intensify, the House has passed a bill to widen the federal definition of anti-semitism. Critics of the bill included Jerry Nadler. The most senior Jewish member of Congress and a strong supporter of Israel. Nadler said, "This bill threatens to chill constitutionally protected speech. Speech that is critical of Israel alone does not constitute discrimination. The bill sweeps too broadly."
People are claiming that sending police after University of Alberta students is okay because the University grounds are private property and the students were thus trespassing.
As a law professor, let me state that this is a gross mischaracterization of the law.
University grounds are essentially considered public property for the purposes of student protests. The Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled that the regulation of student expression on campus property is governmental in nature and subject to the Canadian Charter (2020 ABCA 1).
As the Court explained: “The ability of students to learn and to debate and to share ideas is not only a central feature of the core purpose of the University but also the grounds of the University are physically designed to ensure that the capacity of each student to learn, debate and share ideas is in a community space.”
This means that the University’s decisions to trespass people are subject to the Canadian Charter, and must conform with the rights of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and life, liberty, and security of the person. It should be noted that courts have previously held that temporary structures can play an expressive role and thus fall under freedom of expression.
The university simply cannot use its ownership of the grounds to suppress student speech or in a way that violates their rights. It is little different from a protest on, say, legislative grounds.
For more on the right to protest in Alberta, see this blog post by three esteemed law professors at the University of Calgary. I also recommend this blog post on student encampments and freedom of expression in Canada.
Here’s a drawing in my sketchbook of NYPD beating people protesting in solidarity with Palestine yesterday. They violently attacked people and press members at random on the Nakba day protest in Brooklyn, punching and choking them for protesting genocide.
clt4pali: “The student movement continues to breathe new life into the struggle for Palestine here at home! Their curage to stand up for the people of Palestine inspires all people of conscience across the globe, and we call on all community members to join the students!”
📍CHHS/COED Plaza 8838 Craver Rd Charlotte, NC, 28223.
🗓️ 4TH MAY, 2024
⏰ 4PM
🇵🇸 Take masks, kufiyahs, food, water, signs and flags!