Three separate cases of suppression of pro-Palestinian students and groups have been reported in America in just one day as voices are raised higher against the genocide of Gaza. Israeli tanks have forced citizens of Northern Gaza to walk countless miles towards the South with their hands in the air, a scene that has been described as “The Second Nakba”.
Columbia University announced that they are suspending pro-Palestine groups ‘Jewish Voice For Peace’ and ‘Students For Justice In Palestine’- both comprised majorly of Jewish students- who called for a ceasefire.
Columnist and writer Fatima Bhutto, a Columbia alum, slammed the decision.
Banning student groups for justice and peace, @columbia? I was a student during 9/11, the invasion of Afghanistan, the Iraq war and nothing this authoritarian or draconian happened. You didn't ban the ROTC, that's for sure. Sickening to see Columbia collapse morally + ethically https://t.co/6L3ldzn6HL
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) November 10, 2023
Columbia University is the institute where famous academic Edward Said taught, who dedicated his life to bringing the occupation of Palestine to light.
I’ll never forget how Edward Said’s colleagues at Columbia said once in a documentary that he had to make his office door heavily locked and dead bolted because of how many death threats he was getting on campus. It seems Columbia has done little to make Palestinians safer since. https://t.co/zw8cKtsMUU
— humza 🇵🇸 (@humzasayshi) November 10, 2023
The current president of Columbia University, Egyptian-American economist Nemat Talaat Shafik, is drawing outrage from social media users.
This is reprehensible and it is clearly how @Columbia's first woman and first Muslim president of Egyptian ancestry, Minouche Shafik, intends to prove that she's a team player to the Israeli genocide lobby, donors, and the genocidal government in Washington. https://t.co/TefASmxJIf
— Ali Abunimah is now on bluesky (@AliAbunimah) November 10, 2023
At Harvard University, a black student was evicted from campus housing for acting as a student safety marshal during the protests.
BREAKING: Harvard is evicting a Black @hgsuuaw student from campus housing today for serving as a student safety marshal during a recent campus protest organized by @HarvardPSC
— Harvard Grad Students Union-UAW Local 5118 (@hgsuuaw) November 10, 2023
Previously, pro-Palestinian supporters at Harvard were doxxed after an open letter by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee condemned the genocide of Gaza.
In California, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was suspended for three days by Corona Del Mar School for responding ‘Free Palestine’ to racists who were bullying him. The school notice was shared on social media by journalist Amina Waheed, who said that the school admin told the boy’s aunt saying ‘Free Palestine’ was akin to calling for the death of all Jews.
A 13 yr-old kid in OC, California was called a terrorist by a classmate. He responded w/ "Free Palestine." And was suspended for 3 days.
— Amina Waheed (@atwaheed) November 10, 2023
Per his aunt, "They (school admin) expressed to my nephew that the words 'Free Palestine' meant death to all Jews and should never be said." pic.twitter.com/Ehn8RzEdcI
The action against students takes place while several documented cases of Islamophobia, racism towards Palestinians have come to light. On October 17, a Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death by his neighbour. On October 30, Pakistani-American doctor Talat Jehan Khan was stabbed out side her apartment complex in Texas.
Social media users showed outrage at Corona del Mar High School and the racism shown towards Palestinian children.
unbelievable that a little boy can be called a terrorist by his classmates but if he says free palestine he's the one who gets suspended… https://t.co/OBb4egNzSv
— poppy 🌴🇵🇸 (@poplyy_) November 10, 2023
We’re really reaching a level of gaslighting where saying a group of people should be freed means that their freedom equates to the death of other people. It makes absolutely no sense but so many people have been pushing this rhetoric as if it will convince us. https://t.co/cJY7ipcmyr
— ✴︎ 🇸🇴🇵🇸 (@zoroscult) November 10, 2023
White people can call brown people terrorists with zero consequence and brown people cannot affirm the freedom of their nation
— Inquisitor Himbo Juan (@MozarabMagi) November 10, 2023
Tale as old as time for the US https://t.co/oIYo78344M
