Now THAT sounds like an infiltrator. 
Follow up on the events over at Emoryā¦
[ETA]
FYI, people might not realize that the late, great Prof Zinn has an ATL connection. One of his first jobs was at Spelman, where he helped the young women he taught in the history department to hold a protest at the Gold dome which at the time the gallery was segregated. The students at the AUC wanted to participate in the civil rights movement, but the rather conservative leadership of the schools in the AUC were reluctant to back their protests around town. Not long after this protest, Zinn (who I think was a visiting lecturer at spelman) did not have his contract renewed. He later landed at Boston College (where my aunt took a class with him!).
Ha! The current president of Accuracy In Media, running those doxx trucks, joined them in 2020 from ā¦ Project Veritas! (dramatic chord)
Fucking hell:
I am 48 years old. This is my first time ever getting arrested. I now have fingerprints and a mugshot on file. I had just joined a protest in the designated āprotest zoneā (Dunn Meadow) at Indiana Universityā¦ an institution where I have been paid to work for 20 years. You can draw your own conclusions about the absurdity of the charge and the ban.
I went to the protest zone to stand up for my students and their First Amendment rights to free speech. There are many things I could tell you about the things they are saying and what I think about them, but Iām going to tell you what I think is most urgent right now.
I had only been at the protest for five minutes when the State Police arrived. I guess I was thinking about other things and didnāt notice the armored vehicles. I did notice the police helicopter, which my colleagues (h/t Jason Jackson) have determined was hovering around campus for more than two hours.
Another protestor (a young, unarmed student) asked if she could hold my hand. She was shaking and I squeezed her hand to reassure her. There were two snipers on the roof of the union building with their weapons pointed at us. Since the police had tear gas launchers, a student passed around a box of goggles and surgical masks.
For ten minutes, an officer with a bullhorn told us to ātake down the tentsā or face arrest. I told the officer in charge that I was a professor there to support my studentsā¦ I did not have anything to do with the tents. He said, āI understand,ā but did nothing to stop the process. Behind me, students started taking down the tents. I guess it wasnāt fast enough.
I donāt know exactly how many police officers were there. They formed at least three lines, so maybe 60? They definitely outnumbered the protestors. Most were heavily armored in black (police) or camouflage (military). They were carrying metal batons and riot shields. When they started advancing toward us, they marched slowly in formation. We locked our arms together and I said a prayer for mercy and compassion.
The last thing I was told before I was attacked was to āget back behind the tents.ā I said, āWhy?ā We should all ask ourselves āwhy.ā What difference would it have made? Is it dangerous to express myself in front of a tent, but OK if Iām behind it? I was completely calm (Iām good in emergencies) and did not resistā¦ there was no point. I had a baton mashed into the side of my neck and I was bruised and scraped by a riot shield. I was pushed to the ground and they started screaming at me to stand up, but I couldnāt do anything in that chaos.
22 people were arrested. An IU bus took us to an IU facility for processing before we were transferred to the Monroe County jail. Every single protestor was a student, staff member, faculty member, or alumnus. Not outsiders. Not armed. Not dangerous. The only physical violence that happened yesterday was caused by the Indiana State Police and the people who invited them to campus. The students are using words and tents.
The encampment is peaceful. There is no smoking, no drinkingā¦ everyone is very focused on their reasons for being there. If you want to know their reasons (which Iām sure are varied), you will have to talk to them. I encourage you to go. I heard they were playing board games last night.
I am a little roughed up, but I am fine. I am more concerned about my students and my colleaguesā¦ anyone who has not been banned from campus yet. This situation needs to change before people are seriously injured or killed. Just donāt tell the students to be quiet. They are learning so much right now.
I have made this public. Please feel free to share.
Good on Bernie for trying to keep peopleās eye on the ball:
Bernie Sanders: Antisemitism is āvile and disgustingā but āhere is the realityā about campus protests
As the protestors have been given an ultimatum that hits in about 20 minutes ā the inability to graduate at all being one of the punishments ā faculty are linking arms to block police from the encampment.
A short history of student protests in the U.S., starting with a pre-USA one in 1766 at Harvard:
Today is Columbiaās last day of class. With finals next week.
And Reunion and Graduation following right after.
Success on one campus:
And today the campus is closed while everybody figures out what to do about it. The Oregonian is carrying water for PSU admin by saying student protesters ābroke intoā the university library last night. Funny, most universities encourage students to use the library!
Good news (fwiw) in Denver. After our Mayor came down to put a nice face on the needless DPD crackdown, the protest encampment is up to 40 tents. Better news is that the reporting is more fair now. TV made the authoritarianism seem reasonable, but cops are cops once they are let loose. Local reddit and indy media told a different story.
Two links. One skips the paywall if itās an issue.
Contrast with Washington University in St. Louis, suspending students/faculty and leaving students with nowhere to live.
Archived: Washington University faculty placed on leave, students āhouselessā after Gaza protest
