VICTORY WITHOUT VIOLENCE! PENN UNI & USR DEFEND RIGHTS OF STUDENTS TO PROTEST! RESOLVE TO DIVEST FROM ISRAEL
May 6, 2024
Philadelphia District Attorney, Larry Krasner, yesterday stated what the whole world was thinking about Columbia University and their atrocious handling of the pro-Palestine, anti-war student demonstrations and encampment that were the catalyst to similar protests on campuses across the United States for the past few weeks.
He said: “This is Philadelphia. We don’t have to do STUPID like they did in Columbia.”
Krasner was speaking in regards to the encampment by Pennsylvania University students who he stated had the right to protest peacefully avoiding confrontation and choosing not to fight and brutalize students engaging in nothing but their constitutional rights of assembly and free speech.
He made a a greater point that this first amendment right was more relevant in the state of Philadelphia because it was there that the First Amendment was created.
This was a huge victory for the students and for FREE SPEECH.
Across the country in California, the students of the University of California Riveride also scored a huge win when they reached an agreement with university adninistrators regarding investment transparency and study abroad programs in Israel.
In support of the encampments, more than 5,000 University of California alumni signed a pledge to withhold donations until the UC system divests from companies that have military and business ties with Israel.
UCR has promised the creation of a task force aimed at removing the university’s endowment from the University of California’s Investments Office.
📌 In a statement the students announced:
“We are proud to be the first campus in the University of California system to peacefully end our encampment, without any violence, arrests, or dismissal, and meet the demands of the students.
These decisions alongwith that of Rutgers University last week to meet the demands of their students, should serve as an example that university administrations CAN respond to peaceful student encampments without resorting to police violence—by listening to their students’ demands. 👏
ONE STEP AT A TME PALESTINE WILL BE FREE!
@hiddenpalestine @middleeastmatter
English Script:
Larry Krasner: I am here in a role that is a little different lane than some others. My job ultimately is to do justice and uphold the Constitution and to do them at the same time. The First Amendment comes from here. This is Philadelphia. We don’t have to do stupid like they did in Columbia. We don’t have to do stupid. what we should be doing here is upholding our tradition of being a welcoming, inviting city where people say things even if other people don’t like them because they have a right to say it in the United States. And where protesters also have an obligation to remain nonviolent and to engage in speech activity and in activity that does not become illegal.
Jamie Gauthier: People should have the right to protest. People have the right to free speech. And there should be communication with these protesters and negotiations in good faith.
Student at California University: So I’d like to announce after eight long hours of negotiation yesterday with Chancellor Wilcox, Provost Elizabeth Watkins and Vice Chancellor Haynes in partnership with Doctor Christine Victorino and Hiba Nassar, we have decided that we have gotten into an agreement that robustly meets our demands, which led to the dissolution of this encampment today. This encampment is our love letter to the people of Gaza and to the people of Palestine. We have watched them steadfastly and patiently and bravely stand in the face of the oppressors in a way with grace and in a way with faith. Inspired by them, we decided to do the same this Monday. And I can say that we are the first in the UC system to peacefully come to a resolution due to the leadership we have on this campus that shares our vision of justice. That shares our vision to be progressive, that shares our vision of protecting our students. We have decided to dissolve this encampment without a single arrest, without a single suspension.
