NY State Troopers, Sheriff's Emergency Response Team, called onto the SUNY New Paltz by Pres. Wheeler; peaceful pro-Palestine encampment of 133 students, faculty and community members arrested.
Thanks so much for being there and risking yourself to bring us the eyewitness report, just like you did with the same campus's dioxin-contaminated dorms 30 years ago.
I believe this is part of a nation-wide crackdown (NYU today!) coordinated by the Biden admin, which is trying to degrade and eliminate the entire movement so as to make way for an Israel attack on Rafah which it will sanction after all, no matter the weeks of saying such a move is "unacceptable," including possibly the driving of many of the inhabitants into Egypt.
"President Joe Biden says “order must prevail” on university campuses in the United States, just hours after police raided and dismantled another protest encampment [UCLA]in support of Palestinians.
In a brief news conference on Thursday, Biden said both the right to free speech and the rule of law “must be upheld” but stressed that “violent protest is not protected”
“Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation — none of this is a peaceful protest. Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not a peaceful protest,” he said.
“Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others so students can finish the semester and their college education,” Biden continued. “There’s a right to protest but not the right to cause chaos.”"
Trump meanwhile called the protesters "a bunch of left wing lunatics." RFK Jr way back in October twitted his total support of billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman who called upon Harvard to repress those speaking out against the genocide in Gaza.
This Israel/Hamas show is the latest in the series of Punch n' Judy shows that amount to our political theater. As in medieval times, we are meant to pick a side and cheer wildly for it. "I'm for Punch!" I'm for Judy!" Meanwhile all this is a distraction while our collective pockets are being picked by the cohorts of the puppet master. We KNOW that Israel created Hamas to create the excuse for just such an Israeli "intervention." That's why Hamas breached the vaunted Israeli security. They were meant to. This police activity just feeds into that political divide the elites want to us to participate in. Our job, right now, is to NOT pick a side but to continue to stay focused on our wallets and their attempts to steal whatever rights are left in it.
Standing with the civilians in Gaza has nothing to do with supporting Hamas. Are you so cynical that you're unable to tell the difference? How much genocide are the Palestinians engaged in, have been engaged in for over 75 years (i'd say 100-plus years)? Speaking as someone who was born there, when it was still the British Mandate. Birth certificate says "Nationality-Palestinian, Religion-Jewish." I can't change what my nationality was at birth time. I do not consider myself Jewish by religion, have not in some 60 years, though of course i have the cultural background, and did grow up there till the age of 11.
What effing "Cease fire"? There's been a siege of Gaze since 2007, with an incursion every couple of years, "mowing the lawn" is what the IDF calls it. When Gazans did the non-violent marches to the border fence in 2018-19, they were gunned down by snipers and machine guns, while people in the US and elsewhere in the "first world" ignored the situation.
Hamas was not created by the Mossad, though it greatly assisted its growth. But reducing the entire event to "crisis actors" ignores the huge number of people who are actually dead, maimed, starving. And Hamas is not the only Palestinian group operating in the Gaza Zone. Islamic Jihad, PFLP, ......have been functioning there and the West Bank for decades.
"Not pick a side"? Tell that to the defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip being massacred by the tens of thousands - watch their faces as you say: "sorry, I can't get involved, I can't pick a side". How can you possibly NOT pick a side in favor of the innocent?
It's astounding. However, they followed protocol and training, which is a concern, because they can be deployed wherever ordered to go. The greater issue is how casually the campus president, Darrell Wheeler, called them onto the sanctified ground of the college with no actual cause for concern. They could not have been there without his specific invitation.
Traditionally at SUNY and CUNY as on many other campuses, this is a line that presidents do not cross unless there is a very serious problem — and they have faced consequences, such as being forced to resign due to no-confidence votes of the faculty — which is traditionally anti-intervention. To do this for an ordinary sit-in or civil disobedience is outrageous, with no destruction, violence, "hate speech," building occupation (all the usual excuse), etc.
Are we now to learn that in the era of Woke, the allegedly leftist faculty is as reactionary as the grizzly, Vietnam War-loving conservatives on rural campuses of the 1960s?
I am impressed by the show of force needed to move a bunch of peacenick hippies off of a lawn. Imagine all the crimes that could have been solved by these fine police agencies...but I'm sure not a single ticket was written in Ulster County last night.
But think of this. It takes 80 of their toughest, bravest, burliest, meanest officers to get some hippies off of a lawn. With that kind of efficiency, what are they going to do about bank robberies, the gang bangers, the Mafia and shoplifters?
The first one, the ignore the worst robbers, because they do it legally. The second one they stay out of their way. The third, they consistently work with. The fourth, five warning shots into their legs.
Thank you for covering this and well done with your reporting and photos
"All we are saying.... is give peace a chance....".
No Way says the Man.
Un F*cking Believable. So there Can be no dissenting voices in the new version of 'Murica?!!!
Lockstep and hive mind, or they take you to Rikers.
Gotta use the choppers too! Justify 'defense' spending for the paramilitary... I mean police.
Thanks so much for being there and risking yourself to bring us the eyewitness report, just like you did with the same campus's dioxin-contaminated dorms 30 years ago.
I believe this is part of a nation-wide crackdown (NYU today!) coordinated by the Biden admin, which is trying to degrade and eliminate the entire movement so as to make way for an Israel attack on Rafah which it will sanction after all, no matter the weeks of saying such a move is "unacceptable," including possibly the driving of many of the inhabitants into Egypt.
"President Joe Biden says “order must prevail” on university campuses in the United States, just hours after police raided and dismantled another protest encampment [UCLA]in support of Palestinians.
In a brief news conference on Thursday, Biden said both the right to free speech and the rule of law “must be upheld” but stressed that “violent protest is not protected”
“Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation — none of this is a peaceful protest. Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not a peaceful protest,” he said.
“Dissent is essential to democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder or to denying the rights of others so students can finish the semester and their college education,” Biden continued. “There’s a right to protest but not the right to cause chaos.”"
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/2/no-surprise-us-students-slam-bidens-comments-on-gaza-encampments
Trump meanwhile called the protesters "a bunch of left wing lunatics." RFK Jr way back in October twitted his total support of billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman who called upon Harvard to repress those speaking out against the genocide in Gaza.
This Israel/Hamas show is the latest in the series of Punch n' Judy shows that amount to our political theater. As in medieval times, we are meant to pick a side and cheer wildly for it. "I'm for Punch!" I'm for Judy!" Meanwhile all this is a distraction while our collective pockets are being picked by the cohorts of the puppet master. We KNOW that Israel created Hamas to create the excuse for just such an Israeli "intervention." That's why Hamas breached the vaunted Israeli security. They were meant to. This police activity just feeds into that political divide the elites want to us to participate in. Our job, right now, is to NOT pick a side but to continue to stay focused on our wallets and their attempts to steal whatever rights are left in it.
Standing with the civilians in Gaza has nothing to do with supporting Hamas. Are you so cynical that you're unable to tell the difference? How much genocide are the Palestinians engaged in, have been engaged in for over 75 years (i'd say 100-plus years)? Speaking as someone who was born there, when it was still the British Mandate. Birth certificate says "Nationality-Palestinian, Religion-Jewish." I can't change what my nationality was at birth time. I do not consider myself Jewish by religion, have not in some 60 years, though of course i have the cultural background, and did grow up there till the age of 11.
Val is 100% correct.
Hamas (Ham ass? Jews don't eat ham!) are as real as hijackers with boxcutters and al-Qaida: they are assets (crisis actors) for use in psy-ops.
Oct 7 was staged to create this war. I correctly predicted that Ham Ass would break the cease fire... I mean OF COURSE they would!
People need to awaken to these operations
What effing "Cease fire"? There's been a siege of Gaze since 2007, with an incursion every couple of years, "mowing the lawn" is what the IDF calls it. When Gazans did the non-violent marches to the border fence in 2018-19, they were gunned down by snipers and machine guns, while people in the US and elsewhere in the "first world" ignored the situation.
Hamas was not created by the Mossad, though it greatly assisted its growth. But reducing the entire event to "crisis actors" ignores the huge number of people who are actually dead, maimed, starving. And Hamas is not the only Palestinian group operating in the Gaza Zone. Islamic Jihad, PFLP, ......have been functioning there and the West Bank for decades.
"Not pick a side"? Tell that to the defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip being massacred by the tens of thousands - watch their faces as you say: "sorry, I can't get involved, I can't pick a side". How can you possibly NOT pick a side in favor of the innocent?
Reminds me of the footage of police overreach in Melbourne during the ‘covid’ lockdowns. In other words, chilling!
Seeing this police action against peaceful demonstrators makes the blood run cold. Talk about over reaction. Nineteen eight-four scenario.
I'd be so ashamed and embarrassed to be a grown man (or woman) and do this to these peaceful students.
It's astounding. However, they followed protocol and training, which is a concern, because they can be deployed wherever ordered to go. The greater issue is how casually the campus president, Darrell Wheeler, called them onto the sanctified ground of the college with no actual cause for concern. They could not have been there without his specific invitation.
Traditionally at SUNY and CUNY as on many other campuses, this is a line that presidents do not cross unless there is a very serious problem — and they have faced consequences, such as being forced to resign due to no-confidence votes of the faculty — which is traditionally anti-intervention. To do this for an ordinary sit-in or civil disobedience is outrageous, with no destruction, violence, "hate speech," building occupation (all the usual excuse), etc.
Are we now to learn that in the era of Woke, the allegedly leftist faculty is as reactionary as the grizzly, Vietnam War-loving conservatives on rural campuses of the 1960s?
Do you have a journalist's pass Eric, as those truncheons look a bit serious.
Press credentials don't matter in a situation like this.
He sure does, our entire crew does.
awesome coverage. Thank you!
Thank you for covering this and for the great photos!
Breath-taking … and not just for New Paltz
Publish name and address of police
Start identifying police
I am impressed by the show of force needed to move a bunch of peacenick hippies off of a lawn. Imagine all the crimes that could have been solved by these fine police agencies...but I'm sure not a single ticket was written in Ulster County last night.
That's how you radicalise people.
By giving them grounds for grievance over brutal treatment.
They don't care. They are fighting a war for total control, we are a part of it.
But think of this. It takes 80 of their toughest, bravest, burliest, meanest officers to get some hippies off of a lawn. With that kind of efficiency, what are they going to do about bank robberies, the gang bangers, the Mafia and shoplifters?
The first one, the ignore the worst robbers, because they do it legally. The second one they stay out of their way. The third, they consistently work with. The fourth, five warning shots into their legs.