Will the Protests at Universities Bring Good or Bad Changes?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that freedom of speech goes only so far. Activists on college campuses from coast to coast have used freedom of speech to stage pro-Hamas, anti-Israel occupations on the campuses. At first, the activists were tolerated, but they pushed too far.

According to Joshua Arnold in his article published in The Daily Signal, there were “at least 1,641 arrests at 33 colleges and universities in 23 states” between April 19 and May 1. However, the number of arrests is decreasing. Arnold found “several noteworthy trends” in the progress in the way that universities are responding to the occupations of campuses. 

There were several noteworthy trends in this progression: 1) universities are acting more quickly to disperse illegal encampments; 2) more universities are calling in police to make arrests; 3) the numbers of those arrested is dwindling; and 4) increasing attention is being drawn to the presence of outside agitators.

These trends suggest several developments. First, university administrators are watching what is happening at other universities. They are witnessing the recalcitrance of pro-Hamas activists, as well as the headaches and monetary damages they have caused at places like Columbia or Cal Poly Humboldt where they were not dealt with quickly.

Administrators also have witnessed the example of the University of Texas at Austin and other schools that have successfully prevented a campus occupation through vigilant policing. These factors motivate university administrators to put an end to protesters’ illegal occupation tactics.

Second, the force of the pro-Hamas wave has dwindled as it has expanded. Protests at elite, radically progressive schools had high energy and significant student involvement. But protests at smaller or less elite schools have seen less student enthusiasm. Arrests have been in higher numbers, and there has been a larger proportion of unaffiliated agitators.

Third, even the most radical protesters can behave rationally. Essentially, they would rather not face consequences for their actions….

Fourth, outside agitators have become involved to an alarming extent. Police made arrests at 22 universities from Saturday to Tuesday; in 11 out of 12 instances where the numbers are known, they arrested more outsiders than students. In multiple instances, these outside agitators participated in illegally occupying campus buildings.

Arnold noted that it is “unacceptable that a handful of activists, with no connection to a university, can seize its property and hold it hostage to absurd demands.” It is also unacceptable for professors and other university personnel to participate in such activities. Arnold ended his article with a statement that “the activists have gone too far.” Even though many of the school officials were slow in responding to the revolutions, the universities have fought back by making mass arrests.