We all know about the unrest on university campuses these days. It’s ugly, to say the least, and the fact that so much of it really is predicated on anti-semitism doesn’t exactly help.
But what we’re seeing out of UCLA is troubling.
Let’s back up to a couple of days ago when Jewish students were denied the ability to enter a building they had every right to enter. Why couldn’t they? Because they were Jewish and weren’t apologetic about it.
But it seems things got uglier at UCLA yesterday.
Early Tuesday were brought you the story of a mother of a Jewish student at UCLA who requested help from UCLA police for her son, who was prevented from getting to class by Hamas sympathizers who have taken over a portion of central campus. She was told that UCLA PD was not going to interfere with the "protesters." At that point there had been sporadic incidents of violence, and by Tuesday afternoon UCLA administrators declared the encampment "unlawful" and said that the antisemitic actions of some participants would not be tolerated.
Independent journalist Anthony Cabassa (who was assaulted by pro-Hamas activists earlier in the day) obtained drone footage of the encampment showing protesters being trained in hand-to-hand combat around the same time, "as LAPD expected to tear down the encampment as soon as tonight, and potential fights with police expected."
On Tuesday evening, pro-Israeli counter-protesters started playing music outside the encampment, then professional agitators streamed onto campus and shot off fireworks toward the encampment and violence ensued.
After that, campus police and contract security personnel seemed to disappear.
Then what we had were the “protestors” preparing for violence and the people who were meant to prevent violence were nowhere to be seen.
So, can you imagine how that went over?
Yeah, you probably can.
But it wasn’t what I’d have expected to kick things off.
Violent clashes broke out on the campus of the University of California in Los Angeles early on Wednesday morning when counter-demonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian protest encampment.
…
The chaos started just before midnight, when a masked group descended on an encampment that pro-Palestinian protesters had erected on the campus. Aerial footage showed people wielding sticks or poles to attack wooden boards that had been put up as a makeshift barricade to protect the encampment , some holding placards or umbrellas. At least one firework was thrown into the camp.
Fights between both groups ensued, with people grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. People threw chairs and other objects and at one point a group piled on a person on the ground, kicking and beating them with sticks until others pulled them out of the scrum.
The LA Times reported that a group of security guards could be seen observing the clashes, but that they did not intervene.
Administrators at the university called in law enforcement officers to stem the violence, which is the worst since counter-protesters who support Israel set up a rival protest area near the pro-Palestinian encampment.
“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support,” Mary Osako, a vice-chancellor at the university, said. “The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end.”
Funny how Osako didn’t seem to have any harsh words for the crap being done to Jewish students.
Regardless, this happened, and it’s likely to happen again.
People can get very riled up about what they deem as positional goods; basically positions that good people have and that bad people don’t. For example, a lot of us are just fine feeding pedophiles into a woodchipper. This is because the idea that pedophilia is evil is one of our positional goods.
Follow me so far?
OK, so what we have here are two different groups with two very different views, both of which figure they’re on the side of the angels. One sees Israel has a right to defend itself and/or Jewish Americans have a right to attend school unmolested. The other sees through the BS-colored glasses that Hamas keeps pushing.
Yes, I have strong opinions on who is right in this conflict.
Anyway, those two groups met up and clashed at UCLA and will meet up again somewhere else and clash again. Especially when you realize that many of these people are likely allies in other cases where they’re more than willing to throw down over their “good” opinions.
Now, one of two things happens.
Violence either fizzles out or it escalates. It never stays low-level like this indefinitely, and fizzling is our best-case scenario. Yet I’m not certain that’s what’s going to happen.
The truth is that these “protestors” have engaged in unlawful behavior over and over again, then demanded they be excused. They are literally demanding amnesty from universities, for crying out loud, and they’ve been downright vile to countless people who support Israel’s right to exist.
People aren’t interested in playing nice.
I’m concerned what happened at UCLA will happen again somewhere else, particularly where there’s absolutely zero interest in university administrators in stepping in and actually doing anything. UCLA’s chancellor talked a big game, but then crumpled.
When that happens, some people are going to decide that if the rules no longer apply, they won’t be bound by them anymore.
And, frankly, I get the line of thinking.
Either universities step up and act or someone will do it for them. The only question is how much blood gets spilled in the process.
Tilting at Windmills is 100% reader-supported. If you enjoyed this article, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription for 15% off the first year or making a one-time donation here. Your support is greatly appreciated.
The Hamas Nazis were keeping real students from getting to class or into the library. Authorities were doing nothing about that.
So, yeah, I don't have a big problem with people defending their rights and the rights of others by whatever means necessary. The Hamas Nazis were and are asking for it.