Joint long article from new York Magazine and the Columbia student newspaper: an oral history of the protests

Aaargh--I can't post directly to it because the photo essay format for the article fucked it up.

But I'll link to the Columbia Spectator's front page--it's the headlined story right now.

The protests have nothing to do with Palestine

Look at what they did - they bought tents and adopted the visual language of homelessness

I protested the Iraq War in college - we did not do this

They are channeling general anxieties about their own future and the future of their generation into some kind of “immersive experience”

“Experience war without being at war. Experience homelessness without being homeless.”

They made the protests all a themselves because their generation does not understand anything but appropriating bits and pieces of the world and regurgitating them, like artificial intelligence makes images. Even the fratboy counterprotests appropriated the Iwo Jima photograph. Activism in the age of artificially intelligent reproduction.

The Iraq War was something to actually protest. A false war based on a lie from one of the worst Presidents in history who was trying to finish up daddy’s unfinished business. Israel Hamas is not that, no matter what the evil little college antisemites say.

Speaking of AI I ain’t reading this shit

Chat GPT Sumnary: (in parts)

Laura, a senior at Columbia University, expressed her frustration with her tuition contributing to what she views as injustices in Gaza, despite participating in marches and protests. Amidst growing tensions, a highly confidential planning for an escalation involving Columbia students began. Laura and her peers, including Liam and K., decided to join the action, motivated by personal integrity and a strong sense of injustice linked to their financial contributions through tuition. They felt empowered by the university's history of activism and the attention it garnered.

In preparation, they coordinated secretly, avoiding any digital traces. Eventually, they occupied a part of Columbia's campus, choosing the South Lawn for a discreet overnight gathering. They implemented community standards and a governance structure for their encampment, which included food donations and makeshift sanitation solutions. The protest was well-received among peers, with students supporting each other, highlighting a communal spirit in their stand against the university’s policies and broader political issues.

First off let’s start with the obvious:

Even if you believed that what Israel is doing is genocide, their college tuition has NOTHING to do with funding it. You know what is funding it? FEDERAL TAXES. Henry David Thoreau wrote three hundred years ago:

“If a thousand men were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood.”

These protests started on April 17. Right after tax day! These kids still filed. THAT money goes to fund the war. But they can assuage the guilt of filing but finding a scapegoat - tuition.

Meanwhile Columbia has tons of investments in China, gets billions from Qatar and they don't seem to care.

R6 exactly. There are legitimate concerns with the types of money flowing into these places from overseas, but those are not an issue for them.

Second summary:

Laura, a senior and low-income student at risk of jeopardizing her graduation, faced immense pressure from her family to withdraw from a student protest at her university. Despite their concerns about financial stability and the impact of her actions, Laura weighed the sacrifices made by people in Gaza, deciding to participate even if it meant arrest. During the protest, the students had a strategic plan to minimize arrests by forming concentric circles based on ethnicity and sitting down, as they were told it would be harder for police to arrest seated individuals. The emotional weight of the situation was palpable as Laura and her peers, some close friends and others mere acquaintances, physically supported each other. When the police intervened, they tried to mitigate the tension with small talk and reassurances, revealing a complex interaction between the officers and the students.

Thanks OP.

[quote]During the protest, the students had a strategic plan to minimize arrests by forming concentric circles based on ethnicity

So they believe in segregation?

Number one:

The sacrifices of the people made by Gaza? The people of Gaza were sacrificed by their leadership who anticipated a brutal reprisal from Israel.

Forming concentric circles based on segregation: appropriating the experience of segregation. Segregation as cosplay.

Liam must be a graduate student and a STUPID one. Columbia does has "no loan" financial aid for undergraduates. NO UNDERGRADUATE is taking out 50k a YEAR.

Summary Part Three:

Henry found it distressing to watch his fellow students, despite their differing views, being arrested and taken off campus by the NYPD. Elizabeth Ananat, a professor, reflected on the harsh reality that the students were left homeless in New York City overnight, criticizing her association with an institution that would allow such treatment. Soph Askanase, a junior, criticized Barnard College for touting its progressive credentials and history of fostering student activists while simultaneously treating current student organizers harshly.

[quote]We had been briefed on what to do if we got swept by the police. The plan was to form two concentric circles: people of color on the inside, white people on the outside.

This was apparently also done at UCLA. The fact they don't see this as racist is mind boggling.

👆Again the language of poverty - homelessness - is appropriated. By the professor is doing it. The student is confused because the school has fostered “progressiveness” - what does that mean? To be progressive is… what?

Again, the decision by some liberals to distance themselves from other liberals use the word progressive goes hand in hand with affluence - the parody account Los Feliz Daycare mocks them in a fictional preschool where toddlers of wealthy progressives are indoctrinated in Marxism-Leninism.

Summary Four:

During a protest at Butler Library, Chloe Katz and other students symbolically represented the silencing of sexual assault victims by wearing duct tape and holding signs condemning rape and accusing Hamas of weaponizing sexual assault. Concurrently, another group protested with chants supportive of their cause. Rachel described feeling initially safe but later overwhelmed by hostility during a Jewish song session, and Chloe recounted aggressive counterprotests that threatened their safety. Eve Spear detailed an alarming encounter where antisemitic slurs and threats were hurled at Jewish students. She expressed fear for her safety, marking a significant shift in her perception of security on campus. Meanwhile, Lily, a staff member, observed the reactions to campus protests, noting a disparity in response depending on the group involved, which altered her view of the university's handling of such incidents.

👆Here, the pro-Israel protestors also engage in victim hood appropriation, appropriating the language of #MeToo. It is not merely enough to assert the right to a Jewish state free of constant threats of terrorism; victimhood must be cosplayed.

Summary five:

Laura described a spontaneous and unorganized action by students, who jumped into protest without prior planning. Sueda Polat, a graduate student and organizer, was taken aback by the sudden mobilization of the crowd, which included jumping a fence, symbolizing a point of no return. Liam, reflecting on his arrest and subsequent release, was surprised to find the campus protest reigniting with even stronger resolve despite the risks involved. Jared noted that the arrests of a hundred protestors led to an even greater surge of support, with thousands more rallying, significant donations flowing in, and alumni contributing resources, emphasizing the escalating commitment to the cause.

👆who is funding them and why?

Summary Six:

Shiri Gil, a junior, expressed feeling unsafe on campus to the point of avoiding mentioning her Jewish or Israeli identity, with incidents of verbal and physical harassment against Jewish students reported. Parker highlighted the exclusion and hostility faced by Jewish students supportive of Israel within progressive circles. Rachel left campus due to safety concerns, amplified by violent rhetoric at the gates. Ege Y., a Muslim faculty member, also felt unwelcome and faced accusations of supporting terrorism. Rebecca Kobrin pointed out the binary narratives of antisemitism versus anti-Israel sentiment, emphasizing the need for better dialogue. Henry noted that the hostile environment affects not just Jewish students but also Muslim and pro-Palestinian students, with incidents of harassment and physical assault reported during a gala event.

👆The need to assert victimhood ties into feelings of alienation that two groups feel being outside of the European-Christian American majority.

I supported the Occupy Wall Street protestors of 2008. But unlike these Hamas supporters, they did not invade office buildings or threaten workers or pedestrians. They camped out in parks and in quasi public/private sports. On two occasions I donated food which I bought and brought them over in a shopping cart. Once 12 dozen assorted muffins from Whole Foods, coffee & juice and water. Another time 8 dozen fresh bagels with sides of cream cheese, butter and lox.

What a bu ch of drama queens. It’s over. The cops disbanded the whole group with zero incidents. Most of the students have no skin in the game. They’re not ready to give up anything important for the cause. It’s just the victimization Olympics. With white girls on top for some reason.