Student protest are being broken up at American universities. That's a mistake.
Student protest have had major effects throughout history as the incubator of many political movements and often end up being harshly cracked down by autocratic regimes. The current bout in the US is likely no different. The central issue, the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip and the settler violence in the West Bank, is about as controversial as it gets. The response from American authorities have been controversial too. Breaking up protests is always tricky in an open society. The public has an interest in order being kept, and large groups of people passionate about a given topic can often get rowdy if their political opponents are around. At the same time, people have a right to protest, and the current American administration has been very accommodating to Israel.
I understand that there are concerns over students’ safety when the line between being anti-Israel and being antisemitic can be hazy, and some Israel supporters are quick to accuse their detractors of antisemitism. But breaking up protests by police in riot gear is self-evidently counterproductive. The Streisand effect is sure to make protests more wide spread, and the core issue more controversial. Pressure from the student bodies of America are unlikely to change Israel’s policy, so protests are likely to continue for as long as the war does. Breaking up those protests by force risks radicalising some of the protestors which could mean that future activism is less peaceful.
Student protests are mainly contained to campuses so lead to much inconvenience for non-students. The more heavy handed the response is the more likely the students are to harden in their beliefs. The response being disproportionate to the perceived offense will also further enrage the students. It makes no sense to be so harsh in dealing with the protesters. In a time when so many decry decreasing tolerance of others’ opinions on American campuses it really is a shame to continue rather than counteract that trend.
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I've always been interested in politics, economics, and the interplay between. The blog is a place for me to explore different ideas and concepts relating to economics or politics, be that national or international. The goal for the blog is to make you think; to provide new perspectives.
Written by Karl Johansson
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Cover photo by Knelstrom ltd from Pexels, edited by Karl Johansson