The Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee and the GSAS Alliance for Justice in the Middle East have issued a statement on the ‘Irvine 11’ case. It reads in part:
The Irvine 11 should be commended for confronting Oren’s propaganda effort to whitewash Israel’s criminal actions and policies in front of college audiences. Instead, they have been unjustly punished for constitutionally-protected dissent that is a routine part of student activism, including here at Harvard.
On November 23, 2009, Harvard students also staged a walk-out of a speech by Oren at the Harvard Kennedy School. Last year, AIDS activists from Harvard and other colleges heckled and interrupted President Obama while he spoke in Boston. In neither case were students punished for exercising their right to protest.
We also note with dismay that the selective prosecution of the Irvine 11 would likely never have gone forward if the protesters were not Muslim. As Jewish Voice for Peace noted: “Our young Jewish members engaged in a nearly identical protest of Israeli policies-only the venue was larger and the target was the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu. They were let off without even a mark. Their Muslim peers were tried and criminalized.”
The decision to criminalize the Irvine 11 for their courageous action is an attack on all people who seek peace and justice in Israel/Palestine. However, such intimidation techniques will neither silence students nor will they quell protest. We call on students to support the Irvine 11 as they move ahead in appealing this unjust verdict. Further, we call on students to redouble their Palestine solidarity efforts. This attack only reinforces the urgency of continuing to organize in support of equality, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all oppressed peoples.
This is, indeed, a freedom-of speech issue, Ambassador Oren’s freedom of speech. There’s a difference between heckling , which is legitimate and acceptable, and disrupting the event to the point where the speaker is prevented from speaking and unable to exercise his freedom of speech , and the audience denied the right to hear the speaker they came to hear. Thuggish behavior is not likely to win points for the Palestinian cause.
“Further, we call on students to redouble their Palestine solidarity efforts. This attack only reinforces the urgency of continuing to organize in support of equality, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all oppressed peoples.”
So so important the growth of this movement on college campuses. So important. Chills. Palestine solidarity groups, BDS, If Americans Knew…this movement keeps expanding
From Hampshire to Evergreen, Harvard, Oberlin, Univ of Colorado
https://mondoweiss.mystagingwebsite.com/2009/09/campus-bds-movement-looks-to-grow-with-fall-conference.html
http://www.bdsmovement.net/2011/doa-evergreen-college-759
Day of Action
Evergreen College students in vigil to demand divestment
Posted on March 30, 2011 by http://www.tescdivest.org
On March 28th, 2011, students and alumni at The Evergreen State College began a 62 hour Vigil for Human Rights by erecting an Israeli settlement. This is meant to demonstrate support for divestment from companies profiting off of the illegal occupation of Palestine, such as Caterpillar Inc. Former Evergreen student Rachel Corrie was run over and killed by an Israeli Army Caterpillar bulldozer while protecting a Palestinian home in Rafah, Palestine in 2003. The Corrie family is suing the Israeli government for damages in a civil trial commencing on April 3rd in Haifa District Court.
Harvard College Palestinian solidarity website is beautiful
http://www.harvardpsc.com/
Lots there
So what like you gotta lick the boots of known israeli mass murderers in public or else you get a frigging criminal record?!
We need an open and thorough debate on the abuse of the term ‘anti-semite’.
Over at Huff Po the moderator/filter situation over there is so inconsistent. The other night during a I/P debate I was getting links to Mondoweiss, If Americans Knew, Race For Iran, etc through.
Was just over at Zogby’s piece linking to Hillary Mann Leverett and Prof Coles pieces that totally line up with Zogby’s the moderator not allowing the links to go through. Bet someone or many ones complained the other night. So inconsistent. Keep knocking