I’m fine with student protests calling for universities to divest of Israel war ties. It’s a time-honored tactic and was successfully used against South Africa to end apartheid. Ditto for students calling for an end to the slaughter in Gaza on humanitarian grounds.
Of course, mass media was going to twist and distort what the student protests say. That goes with the territory. Experienced organizers know how to counter this. Focus on the message. Keep repeating it. Don’t get deflected. That didn’t happen here because there were no leaders or experienced spokespersons. And there sure needed to be. Because what we got were idiots asking for vegan snacks because they might starve otherwise. Of course that was going to be mocked. And that meant the message of the protests got diluted.
I’ve participated in many protests, starting in the late 1960s. The media and opposition always claim there are outside agitators. This is so they can pretend the protest isn’t home-grown or valid. And, really, so what if outside organizers join in? It’s a protest they believe in, and we supposedly have free speech, right?
Yes, there were a few raging anti-Semites. It is possible to be anti-Zionist but not anti-Semitic. However, anti-Zionism is too often used as a cover for anti-Semitism. And there have been continuing, huge anti-Netanyahu protests in Israel. Clearly lots of Israelis want the madness to stop too.
Some universites, working with students, have ended the protests peacefully. At least one has said they may divest. Others seem clueless about what to do, and a few are coming down like hammers on protesters.
Protesters have gotten their message out, even if it may have gotten a bit muddled. Maybe this can turn into better-organized protest in the future.