Said was to ‘ensure right to protest ’
Far-left anti-Israel student groups gave newly admitted students at Northwestern University a “different dining experience ” this past week as they protested the “colonization ” of, and “genocide” in, “Palestine. ”
The Daily Northwestern reports activists from Students for Justice in Palestine, Educators for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace handed out flyers to new students accusing the university of “exploit[ing ] its workers, abus[ing ] the environment, ” and being “complicit in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and continued presence in Gaza. ”
The activists, who marched through campus, demanded a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, divestment from fossil fuel companies, and “the removal of [NU founder ] John Evans ’ colonial legacy on campus ” ( see here for background ).
Ahmad Hamadeh, the parent of an admitted student, said he was “proud” to observe activists highlighting the “inhumanity that ’s happening in Gaza” and Lebanon. Student Jordan Muhammad, a member of the SJP who uses “ki/kis pronouns, ” said that in addition to protests and rallies, student groups needed to recruit “researchers and graphic designers. ”
Additionally, the activists protested Northwestern’s Hillel, where one advocate claimed that the Hebrew business was one of the many ways that Zionism was ingrained into Jewish culture. ”
Mona Dugo, a Northwestern Dean of Students/Assistant Vice President for Wellness with a background in psychology and social work with a “particular focus on holistic well-being, ” was the speaker at the rally. Dugo claimed that her presence was intended to “ensure individuals have the ‘right to opposition’ and ‘protect the right to free speech’. ’ ”
MORE: A big Northwestern donor resigns support after the college fires him for allegedly using abusive language.
Eliza Larson, a spokesperson for Northwestern, told the student paper that the NU community “fully supports ( the ) community’s right to peaceful protest. ”
From the content:
Anusha Kumar, a junior in SESP and a part of SOLR [Students Organizing for Labor Rights ], said,” Admitted Kids Day is a very customized experience for students, and that really blinds us to some of the stuff going on.” Working with organizations with similar value( s ) and demonstrating solidarity were really a great opportunity. ” …
“We’ve been trying to show you everything Northwestern won’t tell you, and a key part of that is how it treats its workers, ” [SOLR member Julián ] Fefer said. We are honored to be seated around with you all in need that Northwestern treat all of our neighbors and employees with respect. ”
The great attendance demonstrated that the problems the companies rallied for reached organizations beyond simply NU, according to Selina Liu, a communication junior. …
Kids are experiencing” a lot of worry and soreness around the war,” according to NU Hillel Executive Director Michael Simon, who also spoke about the latest escalation following Iran’s drone and missile storm against Israel on Sunday.
“At places like Hillel, there’s true, intelligent, complex talk about the most challenging issues facing us, ” Simon said. People visiting Northwestern should come with an open mind and heart to discuss issues beyond speech on a flyer, I would hope. ”
Dean Dugo’s social media includes links to stories claiming the poor response by men to the COVID pandemic was because they were “too full of themselves, ” and a warning regarding Michael Bloomberg’s entry into the 2020 presidential race (“Trump may be anti-democratic [but ] Bloomberg is post-democratic” ). There’s even a 2019 pictures of her holding a signal reading “IMPEACH THE MOTHERF*CKER! ”
Further: Northwestern U. scholars majority: Trump prosecution is a good thing
IMAGE: Northwestern U.
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