(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Wayne State University cowardly dismantles encampment [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-05-31 More than a week ago, pro-Palestinian protestors set up an encampment on the Wayne State University (WSU) campus. From what I saw of the encampment last Friday, they were perfectly peaceful. They set up in an area between State Hall and the Undergraduate Library. Anyone who says he felt threatened by the encampment in going from one class to another is either lying or making a mountain out of a molehill. When I was a WSU student, I had several classes at State Hall, Manoogian Hall and Old Main. You can go from State Hall to Old Main without even seeing the area occupied by the encampment. From Manoogian to State Hall, you’d probably pass close to the encampment, but avoiding it wouldn’t be a huge inconvenience. So I was quite suspicious when WSU announced the school would switch to remote learning due to “an ongoing public safety issue.” Yeah. People might see the encampment and feel sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza. That’s a public safety issue, huh? The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) demand that WSU divest from weapons manufacturers whose weapons are being used by the Israeli military to kill a few Hamas terrorists and a lot of innocent Palestinian civilians. SJP wanted to meet with WSU President Kimberly Andrews Espy. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan U. S. House District 12) called out Espy’s dishonesty in her cowardly refusal to meet with the protestors. Just sit down with them and listen. Don’t promise anything, just listen. Was that too much to ask? I don’t think so. Well, yesterday, Espy sent a militarized WSU police squad to break the encampment and arrest protestors. Akeel Ahmed and Natalie Davies for The South End, the WSU student newspaper: Wayne State University Police Department raided the pro-Palestine encampment on campus and arrested 12 people. During a press conference after the removal of the encampment, President of WSU’s Muslim Coalition Ali Hassan said arrests included students, a medic and a third party observer. In a call with The South End Thursday afternoon, Associate Vice President of University Communications Matt Lockwood said 12 people were arrested. “Many students, including organizers, were arrested,” a representative of the encampment said in an Instagram post by SJP. “One individual was clearly not resisting arrest and was thrown to the ground brutally by four Zionist-trained WSU police with a hand over his neck. A few other individuals were grabbed from behind while walking away, and hijabs were ripped off. This was an unnecessary response, as we have requested multiple times to meet with WSU administration.” WSU President Espy should resign. She’s a nice lady, I met her at an alumni event last year, but with this situation she’s clearly in over her head. She has clearly failed to rise to the moment, and the whole WSU community should be ashamed of her moral cowardice. WSU has gotten rid of presidents for a lot less. Anyone remember Jay Loren? I had to look up his name. The school administration’s cowardice towards the encampment has disrupted several events on the campus. For example, an art event at the school’s Elaine L. Jacob Gallery originally scheduled for today has been postponed indefinitely. The Jacob Gallery is at Old Main. Let’s say people parked at Parking Structure 6, or in the Blimpie parking lot. They would’ve gone nowhere near the encampment. But heaven forbid visitors should even hear about the encampment. A sign posted on the gallery’s door euphemistically referred to the encampment as “unforeseen circumstances.” What courage! [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/5/31/2244053/-Wayne-State-University-cowardly-dismantles-encampment?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/