College protesters seek amnesty to keep arrests and suspensions from trailing them

[Beastly Boy]

Maryam Alwan figured the worst was over after New York City police in riot gear arrested her and other protesters on the Columbia University campus, loaded them onto buses and held them in custody for hours.

But the next evening, the college junior received an email from the university. Alwan and other students were being suspended after their arrests at the “ Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” a tactic colleges across the country have deployed to calm growing campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war.

The students' plight has become a central part of protests, with students and a growing number of faculty demanding their amnesty. At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the charges and withhold other consequences, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students into their adult lives.

Terms of the suspensions vary from campus to campus. At Columbia and its affiliated Barnard College for women, Alwan and dozens more were arrested April 18 and promptly barred from campus and classes, unable to attend in-person or virtually, and banned from dining halls.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/college-protesters-seek-amnesty-keep-040935299.html

[question everything]

1. Sure

[MarineCombatEngineer]

2. There are consequences associated with actions,

as I'm sure they're now finding out.
Whether or not is if it's the right consequences remains to be seen.

[malaise]

12. Tell Bibi and his

IDF

[MarineCombatEngineer]

18. That's not what this thread is about,

Last edited Sun Apr 28, 2024, 07:19 PM - Edit history (1)

you're trying to distract from what the thread is about, I would suggest that you start your own thread about Bibi and the IDF.

Just a suggestion.

[Happy Hoosier]

19. And Hamas? You seem to have left them out NT

Surely, an oversight.

[rollin74]

3. so they want zero consequences for their actions?

[comradebillyboy]

4. Well most of them are children of wealth and privilege.

Consequences are for other people, not them.

[yardwork]

5. I have mixed feelings about this.

In general, I don't think that non-violent protesters should be arrested. On the other hand, in the history of this nation, protests have often been accompanied by arrests, and the people participating in protests accepted that as a cost of civil disobedience. Martin Luther King's letter from Birmingham jail exists because he was in Birmingham jail, and he wasn't whining about it.

But still. Arresting students for participating in sit-ins and rallies seems silly and overly punitive.

And then, what about violent acts and genuine hate speech? The student suspended from Columbia seemed surprised to learn that the private university where they're enrolled would dare to suspend them for.... checks notes... going on social media to encourage people to murder anybody who supports Israel. I thought Columbia was for smart people?

[jimfields33]

14. They will have a trial to sort it out. Let it conclude as necessary.

Some need to be followed for hate crimes against Jewish people with their statements. It’s unnecessary and immature

[Jedi Guy]

6. As it turns out, when you push the world sometimes pushes back.

If these youngsters are just now learning that every action has a corresponding consequence, well... better late than never, I suppose.

[cloudbase]

13. Higher education isn't always a function of being in a classroom.

Who could've known?

[KentuckyWoman]

7. If you aren't willing to face the consequences, don't go.

I can still see the scar on my head from 1964. Someone else that was with us lost sight in an eye. If the consequences for these students is missing a few classes, that is a big step up in how we treat people. I am glad for that.

As for following into adult lives. I think being known as someone who stood up for the right thing is a plus. If you are not comfortable that future employers etc know what you stand for, might need to think about what you stand for....

[ripcord]

10. They are worried it will hurt the employment chances

[jimfields33]

15. Let's hope it does. Consequences of bad actions are a life lesson.

[ripcord]

8. Who knew suspension was a legitimate punishment for violating the college rules and the code of conduct they agreed to?

For some reason there are many who think college students should be shielded from their actions while many times their number of people the same age are dealing with the consequences of their actions because they have jobs and many are out on their own.

[stopdiggin]

9. Gee whiz! You mean being arrested actually means something?

But I read all the TikTok and Insta ...

(No - you did not get arrested for 'peaceful protest'. You got arrested - after multiple warnings - for engaging in a variety of illegal activity. Meanwhile, your right to peaceful protest remains 100% intact.)

[stopdiggin]

11. Once again - stunned by the amount of people come away with the idea

that 'PROTEST' - means "free pass"
(never worked that way for this kid)

[republianmushroom]

16. No, one is responsible for ones actions good or bad.

Don't like the trailing maybe you shouldn't be protesting so much.

[Rebl2]

17. Why

do they want that. If you truly believe in what you are protesting, you would not ask for amnesty. There are consequences to your actions. Live with it if you truly believe in what you are protesting.

[Cha]

20. Cal Poly Humboldt campus *closes* through the end of the semester

Link to tweet

They Don't Know How to Protest.. Always Attacking the Wrong People and Businesses.

Link to tweet

They are Full of Unmitigated Bullshit.

[Beastly Boy]

21. This is a new twist and an escalaion. Consider making this a separate thread.

[Cha]

22. Thanks.. but I got it from another OP.....

Students are very proud of their vandalism and occupation, calling it "redecorating" and "liberation."

Here's another tweet on that thread..

Link to tweet

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218901872

[Beastly Boy]

23. Kicked it for visibility. Mahalo!

[Cha]

24. You are so Welcome.. TY!

[Cha]

25. Kick

[Silent Type]

26. Seems a little early for amnesty. In fact it's laughable. I do support most protests, even when I don't agree.