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College Protests Spark Controversy and Division

College Protests Spark Controversy and Division

Last updated on: March 13, 2025 at 11:56 am by Dennis McIntyre

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College Protests Spark Controversy and Division 2025-03-13T11:56:52-04:00 Dennis McIntyre

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The college protests are part of the global anti-Israel protests that have been ongoing since Israel responded to the horrific October 7th attacks. | Image courtesy of vecteezy.com.

The Pro-Hamas protests continue on college campuses around the country. In addition to creating a hostile environment for Jewish students, these college protests tend to become violent. Colleges and universities nationwide have refused to enforce real consequences on the students or faculty involved. This results in the protests continuing. Let’s take a look.

Barnard College Protest

Pro-Hamas protestors took control of an academic building on the Barnard College campus on February 26th. They were protesting two students who were expelled after storming a Jewish state history class at Columbia University on January 21. The students threw antisemitic flyers during that protest. The Barnard College protest lasted several hours, during which a college employee was assaulted. The two students had previously been suspended for antisemitic activity. This begs the question of why they were only suspended back in January. The class they chose was likely to consist mainly of Jewish students. This was a blatant attempt to intimidate the Jewish students, and the suspension gave them another opportunity.

Trump Acts on Columbia University

President Donald Trump then canceled $400MM in federal grants for Columbia University. This was in response to Columbia not addressing these college protests. Barnard College is an affiliate of Columbia University. An article from the Christian Post stated:

“The Trump administration has canceled $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, stating that persistent anti-Israel encampments and harassment of Jewish students on campus have gone unaddressed.”

The $400MM in grants is only a portion of the $5B in grants the federal government has committed to Columbia University. While $400MM is a tremendous amount, the schools and the students, especially Jewish students, would have been better served if the $5B was canceled. These protests are receiving funding from external pro-Hamas and anti-Israel groups, and the schools will need to be forced to end the issue.

The Broader Issue – Global Anti-Israel Protests

The college protests are part of the global anti-Israel protests that have been ongoing since Israel responded to the horrific October 7th attacks. The depravity of these attacks brought back terrible memories of the Holocaust, and to date, there are still 59 hostages being held by Hamas. It is unclear how many are still alive and in their condition. Hostages that were released as part of agreed cease-fires have reported being physically abused, tortured, and starved. Hamas and Hezbollah, both Iranian terror-proxies, as well as Iran, have paid a high price for attacking Israel. The level of hatred that remains for Israel almost guarantees that a two-state solution will no longer be acceptable.

This Intimidation Must End

When the global protests started in the streets of the major cities, they were allowed to continue despite the harassment and abuse (physical and verbal) of Jews in the streets. When these protests spread to colleges and universities, school administrators stood idly by as protestors took over buildings and refused admission to Jewish students. The intimidation escalated, and protesters began to harass and assault the students. Faculty members from many of the schools who supported Hamas joined the protests, further endangering the students.

The depravity of Hamas’s crimes and seeing such a high level of support is very disturbing. This evil must be stopped. Trump has taken the important first step, but it is not enough. Several school leaders had to resign after last year’s protests but did so only when alumni began to end their financial support. This is a formula that works in schools. If colleges and universities won’t fix it, they should remove ALL federal and state funding. This won’t solve the intimidation in the streets, but it will keep the campuses safe for Jewish students.

College Protest Agitator Arrested

In the last week, a student instigator here on a green card was arrested, and his green card will be revoked before he is deported. Many on the left are protesting this, claiming his right to free speech is being violated. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested this past Saturday. Khalil is part of a group called CUAD. An article from the Jerusalem Post describes the group and Mr. Khalil’s activities:

“The issue of law enforcement action against the group’s leadership cannot be separated from the actions and objectives of CUAD, which perceives itself as a revolutionary force working toward the destruction of the United States and Israel.The means to achieve this are not just through vandalism and civil unrest, which CUAD directly employs, as the group also supports terrorism at home and in the Middle East, praising the October 7 massacre as the pinnacle of revolutionary action.”

Was the arrest and planned deportation of Mr. Khalil appropriate? Jesus asks us to “welcome the outsider and take care of him.” What if that outsider not only refuses to assimilate into the culture but engages in activities that threaten specific ethnic groups and go against the values of this person’s adopted home? Please let me know your thoughts about this issue and what you think about this article in the comments section.

Peace

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About Dennis McIntyre

In my early years, I was a member of the Methodist church, where I was baptized as a child and eventually became a lector. I always felt very faith-filled, but something was missing. My wife is Catholic, and my children were baptized as Catholics, which helped me find what I was looking for. I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, walking with Jesus. I was welcomed into the Catholic faith and received the sacraments as a full member of the Catholic Church in 2004. I am a Spiritual Director and very active in ministry, serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister and providing spiritual direction. I have spent time working with the sick and the terminally ill in local hospitals and Hospice Care centers and found these ministries to be challenging but extremely rewarding. You can read more about the author here.

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