A lot of us who read the paper or watch the news wonder when those in charge at college campuses will have the wherewithal to say “enough!” … “get out” to unruly protestors. In some places that is actually happening.
From AP News:
“Four students were arrested and more than a dozen were suspended for their actions during a protest at Vanderbilt University stemming from the war in Gaza that included an overnight sit-in at an administration building, officials said.
‘All of the protest participants who breached the building will be placed on interim suspension,’ Vanderbilt said. That means they must leave campus and can’t return pending a Student Affairs review process.
Three students were charged with misdemeanor assault because they pushed a community service officer and a staff member who offered to meet with them as they entered the building, the school said. A fourth student was charged with vandalism after breaking a window.”
From Red State:
“Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr. After a group of pro-Hamas protesters trespassed into an administrative building, she showed up, and she wasn’t there to hand out cookies. Instead, she gave them an ultimatum. More importantly, she followed through on it.
Starr told the protesters that they had 10 minutes to vacate the premises. As expected, the mob of Hamas supporters thought she was bluffing and refused to leave. Why would they think any different, given the lack of enforcement at other colleges? But then something incredible happened: Consequences.
The police showed up in riot gear and arrested every single protester inside the building. Starr wasn’t done, though. She then immediately put out a decree suspending every student who attended the protest (both inside and outside in the courtyard), while all non-students were subsequently banned from campus.”
While outside protests are allowed and usually respectable, invaliding the insides of buildings is not. Kudos to both Vanderbilt University and Pomona College for telling unruly pampered students, “Enough! … Get Out!”
4/11/24