In an interview with The Washington Post about the response to the Israel-Gaza war protests on campus, Dr. Phillip Atiba Solomon, CPE Co-founder and CEO, discusses how mounting political pressure may have led university presidents to quickly intervene in the protests so as not to appear conciliatory to anti-Israel demonstrators. Intervention that prioritize police action rather than freedom of speech and open dialogue upend what should be a peaceful learning environment for students.
“Presidents are trying to figure out how to deal with what seems like a fracturing on the political left, tons of pressure on the political right, some reasonable arguments — students say they don’t feel safe,” Solomon said. “And commencement is coming up. So they call the police.”
He cautioned that such action “sends chills to the academic environment and alienates students,” and could reignite tensions between police and protesters that escalated during the racial justice demonstrations.
“Any university who is calling law enforcement this weekend and beyond is asking for a tragedy,” Solomon said.
Read more on The Post’s website.