Brooklyn, NY – An event at Brooklyn College calling for boycotts and sanctions against Israel went off calmly Thursday with the panelists speaking to a largely supportive crowd.
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The college had been criticized for a lecture co-sponsored by the college’s political science department and by a student-run group called Students for Justice in Palestine. It featured speakers from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, which supports boycotts it likens to the anti-apartheid movement against South Africa to compel Israel in its policies toward Palestinians.
Protesters outside as the anti-Israel event went on. Video: Stefano Giovannini/VINNews.com
Critics had said a publicly funded college should not sponsor an anti-Israel lecture. The college said sponsorship is not the same thing as an endorsement, and figures like Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke in favor of free speech in supporting the school’s decision to hold the event while condemning the content.
Speakers Omar Barghouti and Judith Butler outlined the aims of the movement, which include calls for Israel to withdraw from disputed areas and for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to where they came from.
“It is time for Palestinians’ freedom, justice and equality,” Barghouti said.
The security to get into the event was tight, with people straggling in even after it had begun. The audience of about 200 people listened quietly, many breaking into applause when the event was over and speaking mostly positively in the question session.
“I anticipated more antagonistic questions,” said Elaine Smith, 61, who’s from Brooklyn, attended with her husband and daughter. “I was pleased that it wasn’t.”
One slight disruption occurred when a group of 4 students holding material from a group against BDS were asked to either hand it over or leave, according to Melanie Goldberg, 1 of the students. The students were escorted out when they didn’t turn over the material, she said.
Outside the student center, a few dozen protesters stood behind metal barricades, holding signs against BDS.
“When a political science department of the university co-sponsors an event and gets involved, I see that as them taking sides, and the university should be neutral,” said Dina Yanofsky, 18, a first-year student at the college.
Brooklyn College is part of the City University of New York.
As always liberals hate Israel. Lets demonstrate in protest of Moslem attacks against Israel and see what Brooklyn College has to say about free speech.
Ahhh another Weberman with brilliant ideas and a huge smile!
and garaunteed had it been de OTHER way aroun muslim protesters wouldve heckled, threatened etc etc as prooven 10 times over lekaim mah shenemar ‘vehu yiyah peraH ADAM’
A few years ago at Concordia University, it was a pro-Israeli speaker who came to speak and pro-‘Palestinian’ groups who were protesting outside.
The animals protesting started smashing windows, attacking people, blocking doorways and acting so violent, that the event had to be cancelled.
Muslims always claim “free-speech”, but they’ll never GRANT “free-speech”.
Good point. I hope lots of pictures were taken of those who attended and clapped. They are the ones who allow suicide bombers to be given a green light, all for the cause. They are the potential terrorists of tomorrow. yes many a terrorist had an MD degree and got trained in US Universities. Not all, but just saying, watch them .