No one is debating the right of students to hold non-violent and non-hateful protests on American university campuses, but when codes of conduct are broken, there must be accountability.
Since Oct. 7, students and faculty on college campuses around the country have been expressing blatant support for Hamas terror tactics, advocating for excluding Zionists from campus spaces and chanting antisemitic slogans. But in recent weeks we have seen an alarming escalation from deeply problematic and hateful speech to chaotic disruptions to threats of violence.
In March, demonstrators barged into a Columbia Law School luncheon for admitted students, chanting virulently anti-Israel and abusive rhetoric. The school administrators present did not object or call campus security.
At the University of Michigan’s honors convocation, protesters booed and jeered — drowning out University President Santa Ono and abruptly ending the event.
Congressman Jamie Raskin was interrupted so many times by anti-Israel protesters when speaking at the University of Maryland, College Park (ironically on the topic of democracy), that University President Darryll Pines halted the program. Shockingly, Pines later remarked, “What you saw play out actually was democracy and free speech and academic freedom. From our perspective as a university, these are the difficult conversations that we should be having.”
The argument that protesters disrupting and shutting down university events supports civilized debate and difficult conversations is a fallacy. When protesters shut down a speaker, no conversation takes place — difficult or otherwise. These disruptive demonstrations seek to intimidate and drown out the voices of those with whom they disagree. In many cases, they have been filled with hatred, glorification of terrorism and threats of violence.
This is no longer about protests, this is about campus safety — particularly the safety of Jewish students, faculty and staff. Recent events at Columbia and Yale must be a wake-up call to university presidents and administrators around the country as to what happens when these antisemitic, lawless mobs are not stopped.
Pro-Hamas protesters at Columbia not only aggressively took over a main area in the middle of campus, some are now openly calling for the targeting and death of Jewish students, screaming: “Remember the 7th of October! […]That will happen not one more time, not five more times, not 10 more times, not 100 more times, not 1000 more times, but 10,000 times!”
Students at Yale, in purported “solidarity” with peers at Columbia, also set up a tent city in clear violation of campus rules of conduct. Yet, the administration did not take action until after violent altercations occurred this weekend, with one Jewish student being struck in the eye by a flag pole. Other visibly Jewish students have been physically surrounded by these protesters, prevented from entering buildings or even continuing on their way on campus.
This school year has been tremendously difficult — both for Jews on campus and the administrators tasked with protecting their college experience. But university presidents cannot just throw in the towel and wait for summer vacation to empty their campuses. They must take swift, bold action now to prevent further violence and intimidation, and to defend the values central to the American university.
No one is debating the right of students to hold non-violent and non-hateful protests on American university campuses, but when codes of conduct are broken, there must be accountability. Institutions cannot allow the destruction of an atmosphere of learning that is the right of every student. And, most importantly, they cannot tolerate the threatening and endangering of students, Jewish or otherwise.
With college graduation season here, pro-Hamas and pro-Iranian protesters across campuses and those who have disrupted parades, community and civic events, commutes, and even Easter Mass are no doubt eyeing these normally joyous ceremonies as their next targets.
University presidents must make clear that any protester who disrupts graduation or any other campus event will not only be removed but also face harsh disciplinary action. Words are not enough. They must be prepared to act, with security measures to both prevent and remove aggressive and disruptive hecklers.
Students of all beliefs — and their loved ones celebrating their accomplishments at this spring’s graduation ceremonies — should expect nothing less.
Ted Deutch (ajcceo@ajc.org) is the CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC).
