Free speech for me, but not for thee

Pro-Israel counter-protestors attacked a peaceful anti-war encampment of UCLA students.

Just before midnight, a large group of counterdemonstrators, wearing black outfits and white masks, arrived on campus and tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the encampment. Campers, some holding lumber and wearing goggles and helmets, rallied to defend the encampment’s perimeter.

Videos showed fireworks being set off and at least one being thrown into the camp. Over the next few hours, counterdemonstrators threw objects, including wood and a metal barrier, at the camp and those inside, with fights repeatedly breaking out.

The violence is the worst on campus since counterprotesters, who support Israel, set up a dueling area near where the protesters were camping.

Some tried to force their way into the camp, and the pro-Palestinian side used pepper spray to defend themselves.

A group of security guards could be seen observing the clashes but did not move in to stop them...

Some people in the camp were being treated for eye irritation and other wounds. The extent of the injuries was unclear, though The Times saw several people who were bleeding and needed medical attention.

Yes, the LAPD did show up, but not to stop the violence.

According to a witness who spoke to the BBC, a university security team stood back and watched as they thought they could no longer “safely hold” the space between the attackers and the encampment, after a barrier fence was knocked down.
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snoopydawg's picture

If the situation was reversed you know damn well that the cops would have been all over the anti genocide protesters.

A must read from Michael Hudson

This is a call to make American universities into arms of a police state, imposing policies dictated by Israel’s settler state. That call is being funded by a circular flow: Congress gives enormous subsidies to Israel, which recycles some of this money back into the election campaigns of politicians willing to serve their donors. It is the same policy that Ukraine uses when it employs U.S. “aid” by setting up well-funded lobbying organizations to back client politicians.

What kind of student and academic protest expressions could oppose the Gaza and West Bank genocide without explicitly threatening Jewish students? How about “Palestinians are human being too!” That is not aggressive.

Bibi was on the Twit demanding that America must crack down on the protests. Anyone interested in the tweet?

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“When out of fear you twist the lesser evil into the lie that it is something good, you eventually rob people of the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.”
~ Hannah Arendt

snoopydawg's picture

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“When out of fear you twist the lesser evil into the lie that it is something good, you eventually rob people of the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.”
~ Hannah Arendt

usefewersyllables's picture

for the Zionists to "push all the Americans into the sea."

After all, who's gonna stop them?

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

usefewersyllables's picture

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

[Remarks on the first anniversary of the Alliance for Progress, 13 March 1962]

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Twice bitten, permanently shy.

Edited to add more:

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snoopydawg's picture

@humphrey

Dana Bash is getting bashed in the replies.

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“When out of fear you twist the lesser evil into the lie that it is something good, you eventually rob people of the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.”
~ Hannah Arendt

QMS's picture

@snoopydawg
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Your source Dana may have a platform
but his message is not worth consideration.

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truth is considered foreign influence, world peace is a threat to national security

snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

and most of the protesters are paid to be there. And full of people who aren’t supposed to be here. But of course no one says that of the people who are beating up the anti genocide protesters. I’m thoroughly disgusted with the people who have no problem with killing innocent civilians or want the protests shutdown because they think that the students don’t have the right to do that while on campus.

See the tweet I’ll post in a few in the news and blues.

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“When out of fear you twist the lesser evil into the lie that it is something good, you eventually rob people of the capacity to distinguish between good and evil.”
~ Hannah Arendt

Dawn's Meta's picture

@snoopydawg tents at Columbia U. For pete's sake. And who's funding pro-Israel/Zionist [protesters-insert appropriate name here.]?

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A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

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