Folks on the hard left, who support censorship of folks on the right on social media and shutting down right-leaning speakers, are now crying foul about crackdowns on pro-Hamas protests on college campuses. Since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, activists have staged anti-Israel rallies and protests at various universities.
These protests have intensified over recent months, with activists setting up encampments on campus while urging these schools to cut ties with Israel. In many cases, they have used violence and threats to get their point across.
The leadership of several universities appears to have grown tired of the antics, and have finally begun to crack down on those engaging in these activities. This has prompted folks in the pro-Hamas crowd to cry foul, claiming that their right to freedom of expression is being infringed. However, this is far from being a free speech issue.
If police were simply rounding up people who were protesting peacefully, then it would certainly be an issue. The First Amendment protects people’s right to speak their minds no matter how odious their views are. This means these morons can falsely claim Israel is engaged in genocide against the Palestinians without the government stopping them.
However, what the pro-Hamas lobby does not want the public to know is that the backlash, at least for most, isn’t about these people expressing their views. The issue is the other activities that come with these protests.
There have been several instances of violent behavior on the part of the pro-Hamas activists. A Jewish student journalist at Yale was stabbed in the eye by a pro-Hamas protester using a Palestinian flag. There have been plenty of other examples of pro-Hamas violence on campus.
After dark, violent agitators from outside the campus showed up and by midnight the scene was complete chaos. UCLA PD were nowhere to be found at that time.
As those outside the pro-Hamas encampment attempted to dismantle the barricades surrounding it, the illegally occupying protestors, armed with lumber, goggles, and helmets, rallied to protect the perimeter of the ‘tent city.’ Videos captured the chaotic scene and physical fights between the groups.
In other cases, pro-Hamas activists have resorted to blocking roads to prevent motorists from traveling to their destinations. This did not go too well for them in Florida.
As RedState reported earlier, unlike the pro-Hamas protesters who deliberately stalled traffic Monday in Democrat-run cities like Chicago and San Francisco (where the Golden Gate Bridge was “occupied” for several hours), the ones who tried it in Miami quickly learned that no games would be played by law enforcement officers who took control of the scene almost immediately.
Video clips show Miami police officers dragging the radical leftists, some of whom had tethered themselves to each other, off the streets like sacks of flour and dumping them on the sidewalks before they could successfully block the PortMiami entrance. Arrests were made soon after.
Participants in this madness have also threatened Jewish students on several campuses. The aforementioned activities are not protected by the First Amendment, therefore this is not a case of police cracking down on peaceful and lawful assembly. When law enforcement stops these behaviors, they are doing their job, which involves protecting people’s rights.