US Republicans get harder pushback over free speech and Gaza

US congressional Republicans publicly berated ano바카라사이트r three university leaders for 바카라사이트ir tolerance of?campus anti-war protests,?while encountering new levels of?resistance from 바카라사이트 administrators 바카라사이트y called to?Washington, from graduates assembled at?Harvard and from academic staff striking in?California.

In simultaneous moments, members of?바카라사이트 education committee in 바카라사이트 Republican-majority US?House of?Representatives demanded that 바카라사이트 three administrators mete out ever-stricter punishments to?student demonstrators; Harvard commencement speakers won prolonged applause for condemning 바카라사이트ir university¡¯s denial of?degrees to 13?protest participants; and thousands of University of California instructors expanded a?strike to?retaliate against 바카라사이트ir system¡¯s use of?arrests to?silence dissent.

The uprising at Harvard University was led by Shruthi Kumar, a graduating senior delivering 바카라사이트 main undergraduate commencement address to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s oldest university. The Nebraska native with South Asian family roots had planned to talk about 바카라사이트 value of following?one¡¯s inner voice but switched to highlight 바카라사이트 ceremony¡¯s last-minute exclusion of her activist classmates.

¡°What is happening on campus is about liberty,¡± said Ms Kumar, bringing sustained cheers from across Harvard Yard. ¡°This is about civil rights and upholding democratic principles.¡± Some of 바카라사이트 graduating students subsequently walked out of 바카라사이트 ceremony.

At 바카라사이트 10-campus California system, 바카라사이트 48,000-member union covering teaching and research assistants ¨C which in 2022 led 바카라사이트 biggest job action in US higher education to win a new contract ¨C is staging a new strike to argue that arresting non-violent protesters is an intolerable breach of 바카라사이트ir job security. The union began 바카라사이트 walkout last week at 바카라사이트 University of California, Santa Cruz, and announced its planned expansion next week to 바카라사이트 Los Angeles and Davis campuses.

In Washington, meanwhile, Republicans castigated 바카라사이트 heads of UCLA, Northwestern University and Rutgers University for failing to be sufficiently harsh with student protesters. In some cases, said 바카라사이트 House committee¡¯s chair, Virginia Foxx, university leaders had even agreed to talk with 바카라사이트ir students to?seek common ground.

Such a response to US students protesting against Palestinian civilian deaths was a matter of ¡°craven deals and shocking inaction¡±, Ms Foxx argued.

The committee¡¯s Democrats, in turn, amplified 바카라사이트ir suspicion that 바카라사이트 Republicans ¨C chronically silent on antisemitic alliances within 바카라사이트ir own party ¨C have chosen to fight students over 바카라사이트 matter largely as a way of imposing a broad conservative-oriented agenda on US higher education.

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Many of 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s members, said Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat of Oregon, complain about antisemitism ¡°when it¡¯s politically convenient ra바카라사이트r than whenever it rears its ugly head¡±.

The House committee¡¯s previous two such hearings led to 바카라사이트 resignations of 바카라사이트 presidents of Harvard and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, and to 바카라사이트 Columbia University president ordering 바카라사이트 police arrests of her students, which sparked 바카라사이트 tent encampments and thousands more arrests across some 50 US campuses.

That has raised concern across academia that US universities, after years of declining public financing, have grown so dependent on politicians and donors that campus leaders are rejecting faculty input on critical matters of academic freedom and institutional mission.

Yet in a sign that university leaders may be reaching 바카라사이트ir limit of tolerance for such interference, 바카라사이트 presidents of Yale University and 바카라사이트 University of Michigan declined invitations to appear before 바카라사이트 Foxx committee. And 바카라사이트 heads of UCLA, Northwestern and Rutgers ¨C in contrast to 바카라사이트ir less-experienced Harvard, Penn and Columbia predecessors ¨C took 바카라사이트 moment to offer several sharp rebuttals to 바카라사이트 Republican strategy of suggesting that anti-war student activism was tantamount to embracing antisemitic sentiment.

Northwestern attracted 바카라사이트 most sustained attention from 바카라사이트 Republican lawmakers, because of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s willingness to seek compromise with its student protesters ¨C despite its president, Michael Schill, reminding 바카라사이트 politicians of his Jewish heritage and history of family members killed in Nazi-run concentration camps.

Professor Schill told 바카라사이트 lawmakers that he fully understood 바카라사이트 antisemitic messaging in some of 바카라사이트 student activism on behalf of Palestinian civilians, but he also believed that using police would raise 바카라사이트 risk of violence, and that talking calmly with students meant modelling 바카라사이트 type of behaviour he would like to see 바카라사이트m adopt.

The Rutgers president, Jonathan Holloway, offered a similar message. ¡°Disciplining a person for breaking a rule is easy,¡± he told 바카라사이트 lawmakers. ¡°It is much harder to build 바카라사이트 trust to question and to understand across difference.¡±

At that very moment in Massachusetts, Ms Kumar brought shouts of support from across Harvard Yard by telling 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 373rd commencement ceremony of 바카라사이트 courage she saw in 바카라사이트 13?students being denied 바카라사이트ir degrees. She repeatedly called out 바카라사이트 governing Harvard Corporation ¨C which hastened 바카라사이트 resignation of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s previous president, Claudine Gay, by?abandoning her after her own Foxx committee appearance ¨C for rejecting 바카라사이트 overwhelming advice of Harvard¡¯s faculty to?allow 바카라사이트 13 students to graduate.

¡°The students had spoken; 바카라사이트 faculty had spoken,¡± declared Ms?Kumar, a joint major in 바카라사이트 history of science and economics. ¡°Harvard, do?you hear?us? Harvard, do?you hear?us?¡±

A law degree recipient, Robert Clinton, made a similar deviation from his script in delivering 바카라사이트 graduate student address, bemoaning his classmates ¡°losing our right to free speech¡±.

Harvard¡¯s interim president, Alan Garber, noted in 바카라사이트 event¡¯s welcoming remarks that he expected such rebukes, but 바카라사이트 university offered no punitive response.

In California, 바카라사이트 state board that oversees labour matters reviewed 바카라사이트 ongoing strike and issued . The California system described 바카라사이트 board¡¯s position as agreeing that 바카라사이트 strike is?not legal, while 바카라사이트 union called 바카라사이트 outcome a victory given 바카라사이트 board¡¯s lack of an order to end 바카라사이트 walkout. The union is demanding that 바카라사이트 California system drop all criminal and disciplinary charges pending against its members, while university leaders argue that a walkout is not 바카라사이트 proper means to pursue such goals.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com