College Riots Start Again, And This Time Things Need To Be A lot Different

The Dali Lama once said this about tolerance: “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.” 

Last year pro Hamas riots broke out on many campuses across the country. Since the administrations on most of those campuses are radically liberal, very little or nothing was done to correct those situations before millions of dollars’ worth of damage was done.  Equally infuriating is aside from a very few expulsions, none of the offenders were arrested or punished.

Hopefully, the administrations have learned from those riots. As the Dali Lama stated, there were lessons to be learned from the practice of tolerance. In the case of the university riots, the lesson was clear. Showing tolerance to pure fascism without penalty doesn’t work. To those weak-minded individuals who were damaging buildings, threatening Jewish students, and creating illegal encampments, tolerance demonstrated weakness and further empowered their hate.

The new school year is just beginning, and already, the troublemakers are creating havoc. This year, universities, having learned their lesson, need to adopt Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s theory on tolerance; he said: “Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.” 

The time for tolerance has passed. This year, these universities need to take swift action, not just to quell any ludicrous uprising but also to arrest and criminally prosecute those involved.

Earlier this week at Cornell University, anti-Israel students vandalized an administrative building. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the anti-Zionist agitators graffitied “Israel Bombs, Cornell pays” and “Blood is on your hands” on Day Hall. They also shattered the glazing of its front doors. These actions are a laying down of the gauntlet in defiance of interim president Michael Kotlikoff, who assumed office following the resignation of Martha Pollack earlier this summer.

Kotlikoff announced new policies on “institutional neutrality,” discipline, and encampments. The new rules are: No more encampments will be allowed on campus. No more harassing or physically abusing Jewish students. No more disruption of classes, either by making noise or intruding into classrooms to demand a show of support for anti-Israel protests or to deliver a hysterical rant. No more taking over campus buildings. No more destruction of campus property. No more non-students allowed on campus to join these protests.

To demonstrate the arrogance of these punks, this is what they told the Sun in an attempt to justify their ignorance:

“We had to accept that the only way to make ourselves heard is by targeting the only thing the university administration really cares about property. With the start of this new academic year, the Cornell administration is trying desperately to upkeep a facade of normalcy, knowing that, since last semester, they have been working tirelessly to uphold Cornell’s function as a fascist, classist, imperial machine.”

Will someone please explain the word fascist to these dolts? All college administrations are responsible for guaranteeing a safe environment where advanced learning can occur for ALL students.  

Kotlikoff has clarified that he will protect free speech but will not tolerate speech that tries to silence others. Protesters who disrupt classes or campus activities by shouting and chanting will not be allowed. Kotlikoff will not permit protesters to interfere with the rights of others, including their right to a calm and safe learning environment where they can hear instructors and fellow students without disturbance. Harassment of other students will not be tolerated. The Supreme Court has long upheld time, place, and manner restrictions on speech.

The Brandenburg Test allows for punishing speech “directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action” and “likely to incite or produce such action.” Calling for fellow students to seize a campus building and vandalize it would undoubtedly be punished under the Brandenburg rule.

Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell’s current president, is determined to maintain order by identifying and punishing those responsible for the invasion and vandalism of Day Hall. He has pledged to expel them and pursue criminal charges. These protesters will face severe consequences for their actions.

I hope the Cornell administration has already asked the campus police to identify those who damaged Day Hall. Once identified, the administration should promptly institute proceedings to expel them from the university. It should also give their names to the Ithaca police so they may be prosecuted for destroying college property. These thugs are not immune to prosecution just because they see themselves as rioters for a cause.

Meanwhile, approximately 150 pro-Hamas students vandalized the ROTC building at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on Wednesday, causing major damage to other campus buildings.

The Daily Tar Heel reported that a mob spray-painted the outside of the UNC NROTC Naval Armory, draped a Palestinian flag from the gun turret, and tore down the American Flag. They then raised a Palestinian flag in its place.

The Tar Heel also reported:

“Demonstrators hung papers outlining their demands throughout buildings, spray painting messages like ‘Free Gaza,’ ‘F*ck UNC’ and ‘Israel is a terror state’ on the walls of Carroll Hall and other buildings as they walked.”

WRAL News received photos showing the Naval Armory sprayed with the words “Israel bombs USA pays” and the words “burn” and “riot.”

“We demand Chapel Hill and all universities across the U.S. to cut any and all ties with Israel,” one student told the student newspaper.

UNC released a statement reading:

“A group of approximately 150 people entered academic buildings and disrupted classes. While we do not believe there is an ongoing threat to personal safety, the group caused disruptions, vandalized a number of buildings, and caused significant damage. Police continue to monitor campus and will conduct any necessary investigations.”

The American Jewish Committee condemned the attacks.

They posted on X:

“These are not pro-peace demonstrations, they are anti-American. College campuses are places of learning and, yes, places for free expression, but vandalism, harassment, and support for terrorism have no place on campus or in any civilized society.”

Not a single rioter has been arrested. That needs to change. The police should be called DURING the riots, not afterward, to “conduct an investigation.” The time for hesitation and tolerance is over. The time for immediate action is here.

“Tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.” It’s time for the rioters to experience the full consequences of their actions.