A Conversation on X with a Professor

Basically starts here, with him responding to me reaction so:

Re: "That is the least disruptive way of occupying space on a campus”

Actually, it's one of the worst as it takes over external space where more students need to pass by and hear the epithets. More students see it.

You're a professor?

https://nytimes.com/2024/04/19/us/at-columbia-the-protests-continued-with-dancing-and-pizza.html

9:08  19 באפר׳ 2024

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Angus Johnston @studentactivism

"Protests should be restricted to places where nobody will see them" is a fascinating take.

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Yisrael Medad

@ymedad

I did not write that.

Infering is fraught with danger.

I argyed that the professor's defense of the pro-Pal Columbia U. lawn-in was illogical.

And given the violent nature of those demos, an invitation to do injury in the name of "non-violent protest".

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Angus Johnston

@studentactivism

You said that a form of protest which “takes over external space where more students need to pass by and hear” is bad. My gloss on that is a straightforward paraphrase, no inference required.

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Yisrael Medad

@ymedad

https://nypost.com/2024/04/20/us-news/columbia-jewish-alums-warn-violence-against-jewish-students-is-imminent/

Jewish alumni from Columbia University warning that violence against Jewish students may be imminent.

“At present, new, unauthorized protests are disrupting classes and creating an irrefutably unsafe environment for Jewish students,”

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Angus Johnston

@studentactivism

Speech is either 1A protected or it isn’t. If it is, let the protest continue. If it isn’t, take action against specific speakers. Mass arrests of everyone in an occupation isn’t that.

My claim is not that Columbia violated the law. But also, Columbia doesn’t have an unrestricted right to suppress student speech-—not while it receives federal funding.

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Yisrael Medad

@ymedad

Federal or private funding should not act as an impediment or facilitator of student speech.

But to the point: haranguing and threatening students is not free speech. It is a normative element that precedes physical violence, especially using hateful terms & expletives.

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Angus Johnston

@studentactivism

Using “hateful terms and expletives” is, in most cases, protected speech. And AGAIN, one person using hateful terms isn’t reason to arrest another.

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Yisrael Medad

@ymedad

True.

But for a university administration it probably indicates lack of civility, intention to threaten, act in a violent way and generally use the campus property for possible nefarious illegal deeds and so well within their right to order the punks off the lawn.

^