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Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith announced the arrest of 33 people following the clearance by police of an anti-Israel encampment at George Washington University (GWU) on May 8, 2024.
The arrests occurred after a statue of George Washington on the GWU campus was defaced by individuals protesting Israel’s conflict with Hamas. The statue was covered with “Free Palestine” stickers and flags, while a large Palestinian flag was hoisted above the protestors’ encampment, which the university president was initially hesitant to dismantle.
Observers noted that the students and protestors demonstrating against “privilege” and “entitlement” appear to be privileged and entitled themselves, and should, they suggest, appreciate the freedoms and rights afforded to them by the sacrifices of the nation’s Founding Fathers, such as the right to protest.
It should be noted that protestors who express dissent in the same manner in authoritarian regimes like Iran, China, and North Korea might face severe consequences. Such freedoms were fought for and won by the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and John Hancock.
However, there is concern that an anti-history, anti-facts and anti-American sentiment is seeping into academia, which could result in the erasure of the country’s Founding Fathers and their role in establishing the nation.
Critics contend that the ignorance displayed at George Washington University is a direct result of those tasked with educating the nation’s youth failing to fulfil their responsibilities, often under the influence of far-left groups pushing socialist or Marxist agendas. These critics allege that increasing instances of graduation ceremonies being cancelled due to administrators’ complacency or fear of on-campus protestors are signs of the problem.
In contrast, Jeffrey Docking, President of Adrian College in Michigan, has been singled out for commendation. He not only chose former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines as the commencement speaker, but also defended his choice against backlash from alumni and students. Docking stressed the need for higher education leaders to stand strong against those seeking to suppress free inquiry.
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