Last night Butler Lawn, Columbia University: "We have Zionists who have entered the camp"

[Nanjeanne]

82. That is certainly ugly. While I think students have the right to protest - I'm not sure what their right to privacy is.

So keeping someone out because they are a Zionist is definitely disgraceful. But I'd still like to know the context - it was posted on April 21 but the same video is posted also on April 22 saying it happened that night. And it was filmed by an undergrad who said she was doing nothing but wearing a Jewish star around her neck. While so many of the protestors are Jewish - getting bent out of shape because someone was wearing a Jewish star is shameful but also strange. Was there any indication that this (these) students were going to engage in counter-protest? Provocation? Don't know. But in listening to the video there is dialogue - they protestors ask that these people leave and respect their privacy. It certainly isn't threatening other than there are more of the Pro Palestinian protestors than these students who are trying to enter the encampment. And the protestors do seem rather robotlike in their linking of arms and "repeat after me" . . . "we are going to form a human chain . . . to protect our privacy . . . and try to disrupt our community". But then I'm sure when I was in college at sit-ins I probably sounded a bit cult like to some as well.

Making someone feel unsafe is not a good thing. So bad on those who made this (these) students feel threatened. But they engaged in dialogue and at any time could simply have walked away. This really doesn't rise to the level of terror that seems to be the reason the tweeter is posting it.

My opinion - but as a child of the 60s I certainly participated in enough protests and felt much more fear from counter Vietnam protestors and anti-choice protestors.