As anti-war protests spread campus-to-campus across the land, leading to the inevitable confrontations with law enforcement, it seems to people my age like we’ve seen this movie before.
Some of us had central roles in the movie, others bit parts, but we all saw it.
One of the distinct memories from the 1960s that arises for me: During a large demonstration at the University of Michigan, I decided to leave the press area to walk along the narrow line separating protestors, who were yelling and gesturing loudly, and the police, who were armed and seemingly ready for combat.
As I passed through this gauntlet, the one emotion I remember sensing on all sides was fear. Some of the protestors held bottles or rocks, others looked scared and even some of the police officers looked fearful as well.
And I certainly felt fear myself as I quickly walked to the end of the line, grateful that silence hadn’t broken out while I was in the middle of it all. Soon after the battle began, as did the injuries and arrests.
This all comes up as I watch the confrontations at colleges from New York to Texas and California. Our democracy’s sacred right to freedom of speech meets the needs of universities to maintain order.
And then there is the fear — on all sides. The difference this time around is that everyone has their own camera so there will be a million movies — every day.
These are dangerous times.
HEADLINES:
Pro-Palestinian protests disrupt colleges across the US (CNN)
Protesters take over Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall in escalation of anti-war demonstrations (AP)
What do student protesters at US universities want? (BBC)
How Columbia University's complex history with the student protest movement echoes into today (AP)
Academic Freedom Under Fire (New Yorker)
Protests on college campuses nationwide over Israel's war in Gaza continued to pick up steam as administrators with graduation ceremonies next month tried to deal with the tension. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said calling the National Guard to contain students was a "very, very bad idea." HuffPost's Shruti Rajkumar shares a breakdown of what the pro-Palestine protesters want to see from their colleges. [HuffPost]
Parties see hope for a Gaza cease-fire: ‘Maybe this time it will work’ (WP)
US, UK urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal in war on Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Google Fired Us for Protesting Its Complicity in the War on Gaza. But We Won’t Be Silenced. (The Nation)
Trump, GOP seize on campus protests to depict chaos under Biden (WP)
Ukraine's top commander said Kyiv's outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front where Russia has concentrated significant forces in several locations. (Reuters)
Though some in the GOP may blame House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) for their failure to impeach President Joe Biden, the real reason is simple: Republicans were working with claims that'd been debunked repeatedly — and even certified as Russian propaganda by Donald Trump's administration in 2020, HuffPost's Arthur Delaney explains. [HuffPost]
GOP House hard-liners won’t compromise. They’re losing key fights because of it. (WP)
Johnson’s speakership hangs in the balance as ouster threat looms (CNN)
Latino voters are coveted by both major parties. They also are a target for election misinformation (AP)
America’s reproductive rights nightmare is entering a crucial week (The Hill)
Earthly Delights — Unpublished oral histories tell us what life was like at San Simeon for William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, and their many, many guests. (New Yorker)
Friends From the Old Neighborhood Turn Rivals in Big Tech’s A.I. Race (NYT)
711,700 Titles From Japan's Biggest Light Novel Publishing Site Get Scraped by AI Developer (CBR)
The 4 Types Of Generative AI Transforming Our World (Forbes)
Biden Sets Aside Land West Of Mississippi As Gluten-Free Zone (The Onion)
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