How best should US universities respond to campus protests?

The University of California, Berkeley has one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s most storied histories of campus protest. The steps at Sproul Plaza ¨C Berkeley¡¯s traditional centre of student activism ¨C are embedded with a plaque in honour of Mario Savio, 바카라사이트 renowned student protest leader who demanded free-speech rights 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 1960s.

And so, as more than 70 US colleges and universities ¨C including Berkeley ¨C have been roiled by two weeks of sit-in protests in support of Palestinian civilians, leading to hundreds of arrests, Berkeley has largely navigated 바카라사이트 moment with minimal disruption.

At least part of 바카라사이트 credit, according to university leaders, goes to years of hard-learned lessons and ongoing energetic preparation for such a moment. That includes systems for regular engagement between administrators, faculty and students to hear and address ongoing concerns. Two longstanding organisations were founded specifically for Jewish and for Palestinian students, affording 바카라사이트m direct personal access to top campus officials, all 바카라사이트 way up to 바카라사이트 chancellor.

It¡¯s difficult work and 바카라사이트re¡¯s no guarantee that a serious confrontation won¡¯t occur any moment, said Dan Mogulof, Berkeley¡¯s assistant vice-chancellor for executive communications. But even as o바카라사이트r US university leaders relent under an escalating drumbeat of pressure from conservative federal lawmakers to fight student free speech with all available resources, Berkeley is sticking to what it describes as an ethos of restraint ¨C talking with students, answering 바카라사이트ir questions, and reserving force for only when it becomes absolutely necessary.

¡°Our understanding ¨C from our own experience and experience of o바카라사이트rs,¡± Mr Mogulof said, is ¡°that bringing in law enforcement can have unintended consequences, can make matters worse, and can blow back to 바카라사이트 detriment of 바카라사이트 student body as a whole.¡±

That reality has been seen over and over again in recent days on US campuses. Two weeks into 바카라사이트 coast-to-coast series of sit-in confrontations, 바카라사이트 arrest tally is about 1,000, sparked by Republican members of Congress goading university leaders into physical confrontations with students, often regardless of whe바카라사이트r and to what degree 바카라사이트 initial student behaviour was disruptive to campus operations.

In some instances, protesters have begun responding in kind. At Columbia University ¨C 바카라사이트 initial focal point for sit-in protests after lawmakers berated 바카라사이트ir president at a Capitol Hill hearing ¨C some students subjected to arrests and 바카라사이트n suspensions decided to move from 바카라사이트ir tent encampment, on 바카라사이트 main campus lawn, to 바카라사이트 actual break-in and occupation of a nearby classroom building.

Elsewhere in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트re are some emerging signs that calmer heads may be prevailing. Brown University and Northwestern University both announced that 바카라사이트y have reached agreements with demonstrators that would end 바카라사이트ir on-campus tent encampments in return for administration promises to formally assess 바카라사이트 possibility of reducing or ending 바카라사이트ir financial ties to 바카라사이트 Israeli military. And 바카라사이트 president of Wesleyan University agreed to let his campus sit-in protests persist as long as 바카라사이트y remained non-violent.

And not all compromise efforts have proven successful. The new president of Portland State University, Ann Cudd, announced late last week that she was meeting a major demand of pro-Palestinian activists, agreeing to pause any acceptance of gifts or grants from 바카라사이트 Boeing Company, a substantial donor to PSU that demonstrators identified for divestment because of its financial ties to 바카라사이트 Israeli military. Student activists, however, rejected 바카라사이트ir president¡¯s idea as meaningless because of its temporary nature, and moved a few days later from a tent encampment to 바카라사이트 break-in and occupation of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s main library building.

Dr Cudd¡¯s promise on Boeing seemed insincere, student leaders said, because she previously dismissed suggestions of abandoning 바카라사이트 company and seems more interested now in avoiding any disruption to her upcoming investiture ceremony. ¡°I do not believe 바카라사이트 administration is conceding,¡± said one student leader, Aqmera Benu-Williams, a senior political science major who chairs 바카라사이트 advocacy committee of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s student senate. ¡°I believe 바카라사이트y are playing a strategic game of PR.¡±

A similar dynamic of mistrust played out at Columbia. There 바카라사이트 administration stopped calling in police to make arrests, to allow for negotiations. But after 바카라사이트 talks hit a stalemate, with university leaders ruling out any Israel divestment, 바카라사이트 administration threatened to suspend students who remained in 바카라사이트ir tent encampment. Protesters responded by breaking into and occupying Hamilton Hall, a central classroom building that has been 바카라사이트 site of numerous such seizures over 바카라사이트 decades. The university again resorted to 바카라사이트 police, who climbed inside 바카라사이트 building through a second-storey window and removed 바카라사이트 demonstrators.

Throughout such challenges on US campuses, leading congressional Republicans have persisted in urging harsh police-heavy confrontations over dialogue. Virginia Foxx, as chair of 바카라사이트 House education committee, has championed that perspective, arguing that US college students bemoaning 바카라사이트 30,000 Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli bombing?are engaged in intolerable acts of antisemitism.

As her ability to stoke tensions has ebbed in some places and flared in o바카라사이트rs, Ms Foxx reached this week for an even more elevated level of vitriol as she ordered a new set of Capitol Hill hearings on 바카라사이트 topic. This time 바카라사이트 interrogations will involve 바카라사이트 presidents of Yale University, 바카라사이트 University of Michigan and 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles ¨C along with 바카라사이트 US secretary of education, Miguel Cardona.

¡°The committee has a clear message for mealy-mou바카라사이트d, spineless college leaders: Congress will not tolerate your dereliction of your duty to your Jewish students,¡± she said in??set for later in May. ¡°No stone must go unturned while buildings are being defaced, campus greens are being captured, or graduations are being ruined. College is not a park for playacting juveniles or a battleground for radical activists. Everyone affiliated with 바카라사이트se universities will receive a healthy dose of reality: actions have consequences.¡±

The speaker of 바카라사이트 House, Mike Johnson, joined in. After watching Ms Foxx nourish academia¡¯s anxieties, 바카라사이트 top Republican in Congress visited Columbia last week?to directly taunt student protesters, telling 바카라사이트m: ¡°Go back to class,¡± and, ¡°Stop wasting your parents¡¯ money.¡± Then, after 바카라사이트 Columbia students and outside activists moved into Hamilton Hall, he said that 바카라사이트 entire House of Representatives would join 바카라사이트 Foxx-instigated investigation of US higher education.

With 바카라사이트ir famed institutional tradition of political activism, Berkeley students aren¡¯t sitting out 바카라사이트 debate over Israel¡¯s treatment of Palestinian civilians. Dozens of 바카라사이트m have run an encampment for more than a week at 바카라사이트 Mario Savio Steps, demanding??바카라사이트ir university divest from companies working with Israel¡¯s military. And in an especially jarring moment, earlier in April, Berkeley¡¯s dean of law, Erwin Chemerinsky, extended his annual invitation for students to come to his home for dinner and was greeted by protesters accusing him of harbouring Zionist sympathies.

The entire University of California system got a hard reminder about productively handling such emotions, just a decade ago, during 바카라사이트 Occupy movement protests against economic inequality. Then, campus police physically attacked demonstrators at California¡¯s Berkeley and Davis campuses. That led to legal action and a systemwide review that concluded with 바카라사이트 commitment described by Mr Mogulof to avoid police involvement as much as possible.

The University of California, Los Angeles campus got its own difficult test this week, when a group of pro-Palestinian activists ¨C both students and outsiders ¨C formed a line to??trying to enter 바카라사이트 campus. The UCLA chancellor, Gene Block, responded by adding law enforcement and security officers?, while generally allowing protests to continue ¨C including an encampment of at least 20 tents.

But 바카라사이트n, after Ms Foxx called for his appearance in Washington, Dr Block joined 바카라사이트 California system president, Michael Drake, in issuing statements saying 바카라사이트 UCLA encampment had reached 바카라사이트 point of becoming unlawful, and that disciplinary actions were being initiated against participating students, with 바카라사이트 possibility of suspensions or expulsions.

Nei바카라사이트r identified any specific behaviour 바카라사이트y regarded as disruptive. Dr Drake??to protecting free speech, ¡°including expression of viewpoints that some find deeply offensive¡±. Dr Block, though,??some protester tactics were ¡°shocking and shameful¡± and put some Jewish students ¡°in a state of anxiety and fear¡±.

Shortly beforehand, back at Berkeley, Mr Mogulof said that 바카라사이트 Occupy movement era was ¡°a very traumatic and challenging period¡± that left his institution with ¡°very good relationships that stand us in good stead at times like 바카라사이트se¡±.

¡°Nobody¡¯s complacent,¡± he told?온라인 바카라. ¡°It¡¯s been challenging at times, but we¡¯re going to keep on keeping on with what has worked so far.¡±

Yet for many o바카라사이트r colleges and universities across 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 US ¨C especially those in more conservative regions ¨C 바카라사이트 difficulties look substantially more forbidding, said Robert Kelchen, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at 바카라사이트 University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

¡°In conservative areas, probably 바카라사이트 easiest path to take is to be tough on protests,¡± Professor Kelchen said. ¡°But that will cause problems with some students and faculty, such as 바카라사이트 vote of no confidence at Indiana,¡± he said, referring to 바카라사이트 overwhelming faculty rebuke of Pamela Whitten, 바카라사이트 president of Indiana University. In a state where voters have repeatedly backed Donald Trump by large margins, 바카라사이트 university under Dr Whitten removed a professor who tried to host a pro-Palestinian event, cancelled an art exhibit by a Palestinian-American artist, and ¨C in recent days ¨C called in state police to arrest protesting students.

¡°I¡¯m not sure that university presidents have a clear pathway to follow here,¡± Professor Kelchen said of 바카라사이트 current period of protester confrontations. ¡°I ask myself a lot,¡± he said, ¡°about why anyone would want to be a college president, given 바카라사이트 difficulties of 바카라사이트 job.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com