Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:37AS STUDENTS AND ALUMNI. >> MELISSA FUSCO, AND AS I SAID,
00:00:39I'M A PROFESSOR IN THE
00:00:42PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT HERE AT
00:00:44COLUMBIA. ON MONDAYS, I ON
00:00:48MONDAYS, I STAND OUTSIDE THESE GATES WITH OTHER COMMUNITY
00:00:51MEMBERS FOR A VIGIL THAT FOCUSES
00:00:54ON COLUMBIA STUDENTS TARGETED BY ICE. A LOT OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN
00:00:58US. UM, SOME OF THESE STUDENTS,
00:01:01UH, LIKE MAHMOUD KHALIL AND
00:01:04MOHSEN MAHDAWI UH, WERE CAUGHT,
00:01:09UH, SOME OF THEM, INCLUDING LEKHA CHORDIA, WHOSE PICTURE WE
00:01:13OFTEN HOLD, WERE CAUGHT AND THEN
00:01:17SHIPPED TO FOR PROFIT DETENTION CENTERS IN RED STATES, WHERE,
00:01:21LIKE CONCORDIA WAS HELD. DESPITE REPEATED COURT ORDERS FOR HER
00:01:24RELEASE. FOR MORE THAN A YEAR,
00:01:26WE'VE BEEN STANDING OUT HERE
00:01:30FOR ABOUT 16 MONTHS. SOME OF OUR
00:01:32STUDENTS, LIKE YUN SEONG CHUNG,
00:01:34WERE HUNTED BY ICE UNTIL JUDGES
00:01:38ISSUED ORDERS SHIELDING THEM FROM DEPORTATION. UH, BY HUNTED,
00:01:43I MEAN, I SEARCHED HER
00:01:45UNIVERSITY HOUSING. ONE STUDENT
00:01:48WHOSE PICTURE WE HOLD, RANJANI
00:01:52SRINIVASAN, FLED TO CANADA AFTER
00:01:55POLICE OFFICERS CAME TO HER.
00:01:58COLUMBIA OWNED HOUSING, AND HER ROOMMATE REFUSED TO OPEN THE
00:02:00DOOR UH. IN OUR WEEKLY VIGILS TO
00:02:05RAISE AWARENESS FOR THESE STUDENTS, WE WEAR BLACK, AND
00:02:07WE'RE USUALLY SILENT. OUR GROUP
00:02:10IS MODELED AFTER MOTHERS OF THE
00:02:13DISAPPEARED, AN ORGANIZATION IN SOUTH AMERICA THAT RAISES
00:02:16AWARENESS FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE
00:02:18DISAPPEARED BY DRUG CARTELS AND
00:02:21MILITARY DICTATORSHIPS. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT ALL THE
00:02:24STUDENTS I JUST MENTIONED ARE
00:02:27ALIVE. BUT AS YOU'LL HEAR, UH,
00:02:30THEY'RE NOT OUT OF DANGER. UH, IN THE MEANTIME, SINCE PEOPLE
00:02:34ARE LIKELY TO SEE US AGAIN. I
00:02:37JUST WANTED TO ANSWER SOME
00:02:40FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. UH,
00:02:42QUESTION ONE. ARE YOU A
00:02:49PROFESSOR? YES. UH, I AM A PROFESSOR. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO
00:02:52BE TO BE CONCERNED. UH, SOME OF
00:02:54US ARE MEDICAL RESEARCHERS AT THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL
00:02:58CENTER UPTOWN. SOME OF US ARE LAW SCHOOL STUDENTS. SOME OF US
00:03:02ARE GRADUATE STUDENTS. WE HAVE BARNARD FACULTY. WE HAVE
00:03:06PROFESSORS EMERITUS AND OTHER CONCERNED PEOPLE FROM THE
00:03:09COMMUNITY. UM, ANYONE CAN JOIN.
00:03:11SO THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
00:03:21QUESTION NUMBER TWO IS THAT YOUR
00:03:22STUDENT UH, THIS GUY WAS A
00:03:29STUDENT IN MY DEPARTMENT. YES. UNTIL HE GRADUATED. NOW HE'S A
00:03:32MASTER'S STUDENT IN A DIFFERENT
00:03:35DEPARTMENT. UH, THIS GUY. NO
00:03:40DEPENDS ON WHICH PICTURE I'M HOLDING. UH, I CARE ABOUT THEM
00:03:42ALL. UH. AND YOU CAN, TOO. UH,
00:03:46WE HOLD AT LEAST ONE PICTURE OF
00:03:48A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. DYLAN CONTRERAS, A NEW YORK CITY HIGH
00:03:51SCHOOL STUDENT WHO WAS TARGETED
00:03:53BY ICE. UM, BECAUSE, YES, ICE
00:03:56TARGETS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
00:03:57AND AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, ICE
00:04:00ALSO TARGETS FIVE YEAR OLDS
00:04:05QUESTION THREE. AREN'T THESE
00:04:13STUDENTS CRIMINALS? DEPENDS ON WHETHER YOU THINK FREE SPEECH IS
00:04:15A CRIME UH, IT ALSO DEPENDS ON
00:04:19WHETHER WE LIVE IN AN APARTHEID
00:04:21SOCIETY THAT HAS ONE SET OF FREE
00:04:24SPEECH RIGHTS FOR CITIZENS, AND ANOTHER SET FOR GREEN CARD
00:04:27HOLDERS ON A LEGAL PATH TO
00:04:30CITIZENSHIP, AND FOR PEOPLE ON STUDENT VISAS. UH, I SHOULD
00:04:34MENTION, FREE SPEECH IS NOT JUST PROTECTED BY THE FIRST
00:04:37AMENDMENT, FREE SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH ARE SCHOLARLY
00:04:41VALUES. THEY'RE UNIVERSITY
00:04:42VALUES THAT ALLOW THE UNIVERSITY
00:04:46TO FUNCTION. WHEN WE ASK WHETHER THESE STUDENTS ARE ON THE RIGHT
00:04:49SIDE OF THE LAW, I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO ASK WHETHER THE
00:04:52PEOPLE HUNTING THEM ARE ON THE
00:04:54RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW. WHO. THE
00:05:01GOVERNMENT HAS LOST IN COURT AS OFTEN AS IT'S WON. IN THESE
00:05:05CASES. THAT'S WHY IT MAKES SENSE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO RUN IN
00:05:08THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND FOR
00:05:10ROOMMATES TO BAR THE DOOR,
00:05:13BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THE LAW OF
00:05:15THE JUNGLE ON UH, I'D LIKE TO
00:05:21END BY TELLING YOU ABOUT ONE
00:05:23MORE STUDENT. UM, ELENA AGAVA,
00:05:27WHO? WE DON'T HAVE A PICTURE
00:05:29OF. UH, WE DON'T HAVE A PICTURE
00:05:33OF HER BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MAKE ONE. AKIVA WAS
00:05:36THE LAST STUDENT ARRESTED ON OUR CAMPUS BY ICE IN FEBRUARY OF
00:05:40THIS YEAR. IN 2026, WHEN SHE WAS
00:05:43ARRESTED, SHE MANAGED TO POST A PHOTO TO SOCIAL MEDIA FROM THE
00:05:46BACK OF THE DHS VAN. UH, SAYING,
00:05:51HELP ME. UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.
00:05:54THERE WAS A FLASH MOB HERE,
00:05:57RIGHT? UH, OF PEOPLE CHANTING
00:06:01AND SCREAMING AND HOLDING UP SIGNS SAYING, WE WANT HER BACK.
00:06:04WHERE WAS THE WARRANT UH, A LOT
00:06:06OF US WERE THERE UM, AKIVA WAS
00:06:11TRANSPORTED TO A DETENTION CENTER. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN EN
00:06:13ROUTE TO A FOR PROFIT ICE PRISON
00:06:17IN A RED STATE, WHERE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD, LIKE LA
00:06:19CONCORDIA INDEFINITELY. DESPITE REPEATED COURT ORDER. INSTEAD,
00:06:23SHE WAS RELEASED WITHIN A DAY
00:06:26WHICH IS WHY WE DON'T HAVE A
00:06:28PICTURE OF HER. THERE ARE TWO
00:06:31NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS LAST ARREST AND THE HUNT FOR THE
00:06:34STUDENTS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
00:06:38FIRST DIFFERENCE POLITICIANS.
00:06:41ZOHRAN MAMDANI WAS MAYOR. BY THE
00:06:43TIME AKIVA WAS ARRESTED. HE WAS
00:06:46SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH DONALD TRUMP THAT DAY IN THE OVAL
00:06:49OFFICE, AND MENTIONED AKIVA'S
00:06:53CASE TO TRUMP. MAMDANI WAS RIDING A WAVE OF POPULARITY UH,
00:06:57I DON'T KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT
00:06:58THAT THAN YOU DO. THE SECOND
00:07:02DIFFERENCE THAT I LIKE TO EMPHASIZE BETWEEN A HIGH OF HIS
00:07:05CASE AND THE OTHER STUDENTS I
00:07:06MENTIONED, WAS THE UNIVERSITY'S
00:07:10REACTION. THE UNIVERSITY
00:07:12IMMEDIATELY WENT PUBLIC WITH THE ACCUSATION THAT AGENTS MISREPRESENTED THEMSELVES TO
00:07:16COME ONTO CAMPUS TO GET HER.
00:07:17THEY SAID THEY WERE LOOKING FOR
00:07:22A MISSING CHILD. NOW, I GET A
00:07:25LOT OF MESSAGES FROM COLUMBIA. UH, I GET ONE WHEN SOMEONE
00:07:29STEALS A CAT FOOD PACKAGE FROM THE MAILROOM. BUT THIS TIME, WE
00:07:33GOT A MESSAGE ABOUT SOMETHING
00:07:35THAT REALLY MATTERED, AND WE GOT
00:07:39IT RIGHT AWAY UH, SOMETHING THAT
00:07:42COULDN'T LANGUISH. AND WAS
00:07:45RELEASED WITHIN A DAY. I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT GIVES US HOPE
00:07:49AND BECAUSE WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR
00:07:53THAT. IT'S IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT HOPE THAT I'M HERE. UH,
00:07:56TODAY, WE ASK YOU, AND WE ASK
00:07:59THE UNIVERSITY TO SUPPORT OUR
00:08:02STUDENTS, MOHSEN AND MAHMOUD,
00:08:03WHO ARE STILL IN DANGER. UH
00:08:08YOU'LL HEAR FROM A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE. SEE YOU AT THE NEXT VIGIL
00:08:12>> [APPLAUSE]. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. >> [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:08:16>> THANK YOU. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:08:18>> ALL RIGHT. AND NEXT UP,
00:08:22ANOTHER FACULTY MEMBER. HE'S A PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
00:08:24CLASSICS. THIS IS JOE HAWLEY, THANK >> [APPLAUSE]
00:08:29>> YOU. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:08:29>> ALL RIGHT SHANA. TOVA, HAPPY
00:08:35NEW YEAR. MY NAME IS JOSEPH HAWLEY. I'M AN ASSOCIATE
00:08:38PROFESSOR IN THE CLASSICS DEPARTMENT, AND I'M A FRIEND OF
00:08:42MAHMOUD KHALIL >> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
00:08:46>> THIS PAST FRIDAY WAS THE 25th
00:08:50ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER
00:08:5011th ATTACKS. THAT MEANS THAT
00:08:54TOMORROW IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY
00:08:55OF THE DEATH OF BALBIR SINGH
00:08:58SODHI, BALBIR SINGH SODHI, A MEMBER OF THE SIKH FAITH, OWNED
00:09:00AND OPERATED A GAS STATION IN
00:09:04MESA, ARIZONA. AND LIKE SO MANY AMERICANS, HE WAS DISTRAUGHT
00:09:07OVER THE ATTACKS. ON SEPTEMBER 11th. BUT ON SEPTEMBER 15th,
00:09:112001, HE WAS SHOT FIVE TIMES AND KILLED BY ONE OF HIS NEIGHBORS,
00:09:15WHO HAD RACIALLY PROFILED HIM AS A MUSLIM, WHO THEN DROVE TO
00:09:18ANOTHER GAS STATION, SHOT AT A LEBANESE AMERICAN WORKER, THEN
00:09:21WENT TO HIS LOCAL BAR AND
00:09:23BOASTED OF KILLING, QUOTE, A
00:09:27TURBAN HEAD. BALBIR SINGH SODHI WAS THE FIRST OF SEVERAL PEOPLE
00:09:30KILLED IN THIS WAY. IN THE WEEKS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11th. VICTIMS OF
00:09:33THE RAMPANT RACISM TOWARDS ARABS
00:09:36AND MUSLIMS THAT WAS STOKED BY POLITICIANS, PUNDITS, THE
00:09:40MAINSTREAM MEDIA IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE ATTACKS, AND
00:09:43THAT HAVE DOMINATED THE CULTURE AND POLITICS IN THIS COUNTRY
00:09:45EVER SINCE, AND HAVE WORSENED IN
00:09:49RECENT YEARS. A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN CHILD CALLED WADI AL
00:09:53FAYYUM WAS SIX YEARS OLD, THE
00:09:55SAME AGE AS MY OWN SON. ON
00:09:58OCTOBER 14th, 2023, WHEN HIS LANDLORD KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF
00:10:01THEIR APARTMENT AND YELLED, YOU MUSLIMS MUST DIE, THEN ATTACKED
00:10:05HIS MOTHER AND STABBED HIM TO
00:10:07DEATH. A MONTH LATER, THREE
00:10:10PALESTINIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS IN VERMONT WERE SHOT IN
00:10:13THE STREET BY A STRANGER WHILE
00:10:17WEARING KEFFIYEHS. BUT THE HARM OF THIS BIGOTRY GOES BEYOND
00:10:20THREATS TO LIFE AND LIMB, INTO THE WORLD OF INSTITUTIONAL
00:10:24DECISION MAKING AND POLICY AS WELL. LET ME GIVE YOU ONE
00:10:28EXAMPLE. IN NOVEMBER 2023, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PUBLISHED A
00:10:31GLOBAL PRESS RELEASE ACCUSING
00:10:34STUDENT PROTESTERS FOR PALESTINE OF THREATENING RHETORIC AND
00:10:38INTIMIDATION. THIS WAS AN
00:10:40ABSOLUTE LIE, AND EVERYONE HERE
00:10:42KNEW IT. THEN, IN APRIL 2025,
00:10:45SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO
00:10:48ISSUED A MEMO ORDERING THE REMOVAL OF PALESTINIAN STUDENT
00:10:51ACTIVISTS. MOHSEN MAHDAWI, WHICH QUOTED THAT COLUMBIA PRESS
00:10:55RELEASE ACCUSING MOHSEN FALSELY OF THREATENING RHETORIC AND
00:10:59INTIMIDATION. AND THIS MEMO WAS THE BASIS OF HIS DETENTION BY
00:11:02DHS AND ONGOING ATTEMPTS TO
00:11:04DEPORT HIM IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, A
00:11:07CAMPAIGN THAT HAS ALSO TARGETED
00:11:10MAHMOUD AND OTHERS WITH THE
00:11:15EXPLICIT GOAL FROM THE WHITE HOUSE OF TERRORIZING NON-CITIZEN PALESTINIANS AND THEIR
00:11:18ADVOCATES. THIS IS ALL A MATTER
00:11:20OF PUBLIC RECORD. WE ALL SEE HOW
00:11:24THE UNIVERSITY'S ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM HAS
00:11:26DIRECTLY ENDANGERED ITS STUDENTS. SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I
00:11:30WON'T BE WASTING ANY MORE TIME
00:11:32ON TOWN HALLS OR LISTENING SESSIONS, OR >> [APPLAUSE]
00:11:35>> IMAGINING ANYTHING HERE HAS
00:11:38CHANGED. I WILL NOT BE PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING HERE
00:11:42HAS CHANGED UNTIL AND UNLESS THE UNIVERSITY RETRACTS THAT PRESS
00:11:45RELEASE AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE HARM >> [APPLAUSE] >> THAT IT HAS DONE. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:11:49>> WHO >> BUT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I
00:11:53DON'T EXPECT THEM TO. I HAVE NO REAL HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE ANY
00:11:56VOLUNTARY REPAIR, ANY ACCOUNTABILITY, ANY
00:12:00ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE HARM THAT
00:12:02SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS AND COLLEAGUES HAVE EXPERIENCED HERE
00:12:05FOR BEING PALESTINIAN OR ARAB OR
00:12:09MUSLIM OR PROFILED AS SUCH, OR FOR ASSOCIATING WITH ANYONE WHO
00:12:12IS. AND THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD ALL
00:12:16BE GRATEFUL TO MAHMOUD AND OTHERS WHO HAVE BROUGHT CASES
00:12:19LIKE THIS ONE. POLITICIANS WHO HAVE CHOSEN THE WRONG SIDE OF
00:12:21HISTORY IN RECENT YEARS ARE
00:12:24FACING CONSEQUENCES AT THE BALLOT BOX. COMPANIES THAT WENT
00:12:27ALONG WITH TRUMP'S TRANSPHOBIA
00:12:29AND RACISM CAN BE BOYCOTTED BY CONSUMERS. BUT HOW CAN WE HOPE
00:12:33FOR ANY ACCOUNTABILITY HERE FROM
00:12:36OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES THAT SO WILLINGLY COLLUDED WITH THE
00:12:40TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S CORRUPT AND FRAUDULENT TITLE? SIX
00:12:42CHARGES
00:12:46>> [APPLAUSE] >> THOSE OF US WHO WORK FOR AND STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY, WHAT
00:12:49SHOULD WE DO? SHOULD WE WRITE MORE LETTERS? SHOULD WE TAKE
00:12:52MORE MEETINGS WITH ADMINISTRATORS? SHOULD WE STAND UP AND SPEAK IN THE UNIVERSITY
00:12:56SENATE? I KNOW FIRSTHAND WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO THOSE OF US WHO
00:12:59TRIED THOSE THINGS, AND IT WAS HUMILIATING, AND IT WAS PAINFUL,
00:13:02AND IT WAS JUST A FRACTION OF
00:13:04WHAT MY ARAB AND MUSLIM COLLEAGUES AND STUDENTS HAVE
00:13:07EXPERIENCED NO, THE LAST FEW
00:13:09YEARS HAVE TAUGHT ALL OF US IN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION. AN
00:13:13IMPORTANT LESSON. IF WE DIDN'T
00:13:14KNOW IT ALREADY, POWER CONCEDES
00:13:20NOTHING WITHOUT A DEMAND >> [APPLAUSE]. [APPLAUSE] >> WHO
00:13:24>> INSTITUTIONS LIKE THIS ONE ONLY SPEAK A FEW LANGUAGES. THEY
00:13:28UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF LABOR POWER, ALTHOUGH THEY WILL FIGHT
00:13:31TOOTH AND NAIL TO TRY TO BREAK
00:13:34IT. AND THEY DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF
00:13:38LITIGATION. SO IF WE HOPE TO SEE
00:13:40ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE HARMS, THE POOR JUDGMENT OF THE LAST
00:13:43FEW YEARS, THEN WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL TO OUR STUDENTS AND
00:13:47COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE THE COURAGE, IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING THAT
00:13:50THEY'VE ENDURED, TO SPEAK UP ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE SUFFERED, AND
00:13:53SEEK REDRESS IN THE COURTS. I AM PROUD, AS A COLUMBIA PROFESSOR,
00:13:57TO STAND HERE PUBLICLY AGAINST
00:14:00ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM. I AM PROUD TO STAND HERE AGAINST
00:14:03ISLAMOPHOBIA AND BIGOTRY IN ALL FORMS. I'M PROUD TO STAND HERE
00:14:06TODAY WITH MAHMOUD, AND I AM GRATEFUL TO HIM AND HIS TIRELESS
00:14:09LEGAL TEAM FOR TAKING ON A FIGHT
00:14:11THAT IS TRULY ON BEHALF OF ALL
00:14:14OF US. THANK >> [APPLAUSE] >> YOU.
00:14:17>> [APPLAUSE]
00:14:21>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT,
00:14:23NEXT, WE HAVE AN ALUM FROM THE
00:14:27SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK. THIS IS
00:14:31LAYLA. YES SALIBA. YES HERE YOU
00:14:43GO. >> HI, EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL
00:14:46FOR BEING HERE. BEFORE I BEGIN,
00:14:47I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE A QUESTION
00:14:51BY MY FRIEND MAHMOUD KHALIL. IN
00:14:54HIS LETTER TO COLUMBIA, WHO HAS
00:14:57THE RIGHT TO HAVE RIGHTS TO
00:15:00SILENCE THE MOVEMENT FOR
00:15:02PALESTINIAN LIBERATION, COLUMBIA
00:15:05UNIVERSITY TURNED TO THEIR
00:15:08PALESTINIAN STUDENTS, FACULTY,
00:15:11AND STAFF, USING BUREAUCRATS AND
00:15:14UNIVERSITY PROCEDURE AS THEIR
00:15:16TOOLS OF CHOICE TO STRIP AWAY
00:15:20OUR VERY HUMANITY. SIMPLY BEING
00:15:23OURSELVES AND EMBRACING OUR
00:15:26HERITAGE, WEARING A KEFFIYEH ON
00:15:29CAMPUS, OR STATING THAT WE HAD
00:15:30FAMILY IN GAZA, MADE US TARGETS
00:15:36INSTEAD OF HELPING OUR COMMUNITY
00:15:39DURING A TIME OF UNFATHOMABLE
00:15:42LOSS. AS STUDENTS FROM GAZA ON
00:15:44THIS CAMPUS SAW THEIR ENTIRE
00:15:48NEIGHBORHOODS DESTROYED AS MY
00:15:51PALESTINIAN CLASSMATES DEALT
00:15:55WITH UNFATHOMABLE LOSS WHILE
00:15:57BEING CALLED TERRORISTS AS
00:16:01UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS CALLED
00:16:03FOR OUR DEATH, AND AS STUDENTS
00:16:07CREATED NEW MAPS OF GAZA,
00:16:09PUBLICLY CALLING FOR ALL
00:16:12PALESTINIAN MEN OVER THE AGE OF
00:16:1412 TO BE EXECUTED. COLUMBIA
00:16:17UNIVERSITY DID NOTHING.
00:16:20>> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
00:16:25>> THE COLUMBIA TRUSTEES. THEY
00:16:27DELIBERATELY CHOSE TO SUBJECT US
00:16:30TO SYSTEMATIC ABUSE, BULLYING,
00:16:32AND HARASSMENT UNDER THE GUISE
00:16:38OF PUBLIC SAFETY. I WANT TO MAKE
00:16:40IT CRYSTAL CLEAR. NO STUDENT,
00:16:43PALESTINIAN OR NOT, SHOULD EVER
00:16:47HAVE TO ENDURE WHAT WE WENT
00:16:50THROUGH TO EVERY COLUMBIA
00:16:53ADMINISTRATOR AND TRUSTEE
00:16:56RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. FROM DAVID
00:16:58GREENWALD, TO CASS HOLLOWAY TO
00:17:02SAMANTHA SLATER, WE CAN AND WILL
00:17:04HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
00:17:14BEFORE I END TODAY, I WOULD LIKE
00:17:18TO READ A PUBLISHED SELECTION
00:17:20FROM MY FELLOW PLAINTIFF AND
00:17:23FRIEND, MYRIAM ALWAN, PUBLISHED
00:17:27IN THE KEY. BEYOND THE BLATANT
00:17:34WEAPONIZATION OF ANTI-SEMITISM,
00:17:36THE MOST TROUBLING DETAIL IS
00:17:39THAT THREE OUT OF THE SIX EVENTS
00:17:41IN. ONE OF THE NOTICES HAD
00:17:44OCCURRED WHILE I WAS HOSPITALIZED. FOLLOWING THE
00:17:48RAPID DETERIORATION OF MY
00:17:49HEALTH, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE
00:17:52VERY DISCRIMINATION I CONTINUED
00:17:55TO FACE THROUGHOUT THESE PROCEEDINGS, COLUMBIA'S
00:17:59ADMINISTRATION ACCUSED ME OF
00:18:01ORCHESTRATING AND ATTENDING
00:18:04PROTESTS, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS
00:18:07HOOKED UP TO AN EKG MACHINE AND
00:18:13MULTIPLE OTHER MACHINES IN THE ICU UNIT WHILE THEY OCCURRED. I
00:18:16WANT YOU ALL TO SIT THERE AND THINK ABOUT THAT. THEY'RE
00:18:20ACCUSING A STUDENT IN THE ICU.
00:18:27SHAME. WHEN SHE EMAILED PROOF OF
00:18:30HER 11 DAY HOSPITALIZATION ON
00:18:34JANUARY 22nd, THEY THANKED HER
00:18:37FOR SHARING HER CONCERNS AND
00:18:40ISSUED A THREE DAY DEADLINE TO SCHEDULE THE FIRST HEARING.
00:18:44AFTER BEING IN THE ICU. THAT'S
00:18:46HOW MUCH COLUMBIA CARES ABOUT
00:18:48THEIR STUDENTS THAT SHE WAS IN
00:18:53CRITICAL CONDITION AT THE TIME
00:18:55OF THE ALLEGATIONS. EVEN WITH
00:18:59THE KNOWLEDGE OF HER PHYSICAL INCAPACITATION, BECAUSE SHE IS
00:19:03PALESTINIAN, THE UNIVERSITY
00:19:06COULD NOT FATHOM THE
00:19:08IMPOSSIBILITY OF OUR INVOLVEMENT
00:19:13I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO THANK THE.
00:19:15THANK EVERYBODY FOR TAKING TIME
00:19:17OUT OF THEIR DAY. DAY TO COME TO
00:19:20THIS. WE CAN AND WILL HOLD
00:19:24COLUMBIA ACCOUNTABLE YES, AND FREE >> [APPLAUSE]
00:19:27>> PALESTINE
00:19:29>> [APPLAUSE]
00:19:33>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
00:19:34ALL RIGHT. NEXT, AN ATTORNEY
00:19:38FROM MAHMOUD KHALIL TEAM. THIS
00:19:42IS WILLIAM REYNOLDS.
00:19:42>> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
00:19:46>> THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. MY NAME IS BILL REYNOLDS. AND ALONG
00:19:49WITH MY CO-COUNSEL, BRITTANY FINLEY, WE ARE SERVING AS THE
00:19:52ATTORNEYS IN THE LAWSUIT. THE
00:19:55MAHMOUD KHALIL P, WG. AND IBRAHIM JABARI FILED TODAY. WE
00:19:59ARE HERE BECAUSE OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S DELIBERATE
00:20:03INDIFFERENCE TO THE SEVERE, PERSISTENT, AND COORDINATED
00:20:07HARASSMENT TARGETED TOWARDS
00:20:10MAHMOUD IBRAHIM AND THE MEMBERS OF SIPA PALESTINE WORKING GROUP,
00:20:14ALL BECAUSE OF THEIR PRO-PALESTINE ADVOCACY. WE ARE
00:20:16HERE BECAUSE COLUMBIA STUDENTS HAD THEIR CAMPUS GROUP PICTURES
00:20:20PUT ON DOX ON BOX TRUCKS, HAD THEIR ADDRESSES PUBLISHED ON
00:20:24WEBSITES, HAD THEIR STUDENT EVENTS SURVEILLED AND INTERFERED
00:20:28WITH, AND HAD THEIR VOICES SILENCED IN CLASS AND ON CAMPUS.
00:20:32WE ARE HERE BECAUSE COLUMBIA KNEW THAT ITS OWN ALUMNI, ITS
00:20:35STUDENTS, ITS PROFESSORS AIDED
00:20:37IN THAT EFFORT, ALLOWING HOSTILITY TO GROW FOR OVER A
00:20:40YEAR TOWARDS PALESTINIAN
00:20:43STUDENTS. ARAB STUDENTS, MUSLIM
00:20:45STUDENTS, NON-CITIZEN STUDENTS,
00:20:47AND STUDENTS WITH THE AUDACITY TO ASK THE SCHOOL TO REASSESS
00:20:51ITS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR AN
00:20:53ONGOING GENOCIDE WE ARE HERE
00:20:59BECAUSE COLUMBIA BLAMED ITS PALESTINIAN STUDENTS AND THEIR
00:21:02ALLIES FOR ITS BAD PRESS, AND RETALIATED AGAINST THOSE
00:21:06STUDENTS THROUGH THE
00:21:09DISCIPLINARY PROCESS, AND WE ARE HERE, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF
00:21:12MAHMOUD MAHMOUD, WHO BECAME A PUBLIC FACE TO THE PROTEST
00:21:16MOVEMENT AND WHO BECAME THE TARGET OF INTENSE HATRED BECAUSE
00:21:19OF IT. MAHMOUD, WHO PLEADED WITH
00:21:23COLUMBIA ADMINISTRATORS FOR MONTHS ASKING THEM TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT ITS OWN
00:21:27STUDENTS. MAHMOUD, WHO WAS ILLEGALLY DETAINED BY ICE AND
00:21:30HELD FOR 104 DAYS, DURING WHICH
00:21:33TIME COLUMBIA RETALIATED AGAINST THE STUDENTS WHO SUPPORTED HIM
00:21:36AND DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THE FALSEHOODS SURROUNDING HIS
00:21:40DETAINMENT MAHMOUD WHO IS STILL
00:21:44BARRED FROM THIS CAMPUS. IN
00:21:491961, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING SPOKE HERE AT COLUMBIA, URGING
00:21:53PRESIDENT KENNEDY TO TAKE ACTION TO OUTLAW SEGREGATION IN FEDERAL
00:21:57PROGRAMS AND OTHER PARTS OF
00:22:00AMERICAN LIFE. HE SAID MORALITY
00:22:05CANNOT BE LEGISLATED, BUT
00:22:07BEHAVIOR CAN BE REGULATED. OUR
00:22:11LAWS MUST CONTROL THE EFFECTS OF
00:22:13BAD INTERNAL ATTITUDES WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL. THREE YEARS
00:22:17LATER, CONGRESS DID JUST THAT, PASSING THE LANDMARK CIVIL
00:22:21RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, AND WE ARE NOW SEEKING TO HOLD COLUMBIA
00:22:25ACCOUNTABLE. UNDER THAT SAME LAW FOR ITS ACTIONS. 60 YEARS LATER.
00:22:28THANK YOU
00:22:30>> [APPLAUSE]
00:22:35>> SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. FINALLY,
00:22:37A PERSON WHO NEEDS NO
00:22:39INTRODUCTION, BUT I'LL SAY A
00:22:42COUPLE OF WORDS. STRIPPED FROM HIS RIGHT TO ATTEND HIS SON'S
00:22:45BIRTH. ONE AND A HALF YEARS AGO,
00:22:48HE WAS THE FIRST COLUMBIA STUDENT DETAINED FOR PROTESTING
00:22:51THE KILLING OF PALESTINIANS AND
00:22:54THE OPPRESSION OF PALESTINIANS.
00:22:56THROUGHOUT THE WEST BANK, GAZA,
00:23:00AND ESPECIALLY THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA. HE IS FIGHTING NOT JUST
00:23:03FOR HIS RIGHTS, NOT JUST FOR THE RIGHTS OF PALESTINIANS. HE IS
00:23:07FIGHTING FOR ALL OF OUR RIGHTS.
00:23:10LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR
00:23:13>> [APPLAUSE]
00:23:14>> MAHMOUD KHALIL EVERYONE, AND
00:23:21REALLY SPECIAL THANKS TO THE
00:23:23FACULTY AND COLUMBIA AFFILIATES
00:23:26WHO HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST YEAR
00:23:27AND A HALF, EVERY SINGLE MONDAY,
00:23:30STANDING HERE CALLING FOR THE
00:23:37JUST DUE PROCESS TO, TO US, UM,
00:23:40REFUSING TO STAY SILENT AT A
00:23:43TIME WHERE COLUMBIA ERASED OUR
00:23:45EXISTENCE. TODAY, I'M FILING A
00:23:47LAWSUIT AGAINST COLUMBIA
00:23:49UNIVERSITY AND PEPPERDINE KAREN
00:23:52JARAMILLO, FOR THEIR GROSS AND
00:23:54SYSTEMATIC DISCRIMINATION
00:23:57AGAINST PALESTINIAN STUDENTS AT
00:23:59COLUMBIA. I'M JOINED BY MY
00:24:01FRIENDS AT THE PALESTINE WORKING
00:24:05GROUP. COLUMBIA LAID THE
00:24:08GROUNDWORK FOR MY TARGETING BY
00:24:10THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THROUGH
00:24:13ITS DELIBERATE DISCRIMINATION,
00:24:15AIMED AND AIMED AT INTIMIDATING
00:24:19PALESTINIAN STUDENTS FOR OVER TWO YEARS, WE PLEADED WITH
00:24:22COLUMBIA. COLUMBIA DID NOT CARE.
00:24:25OUR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING DID
00:24:28NOT SERVE THE IDEOLOGICAL. ITS
00:24:33BOARD OF TRUSTEES WAS PROTECTING. SO THEY TRADED US
00:24:35AWAY WE ARE SUING BECAUSE NO
00:24:39STUDENT. REGARDLESS OF THEIR
00:24:40BACKGROUND SHOULD GO THROUGH THE
00:24:44HILL THAT COLUMBIA PUT OVER ALL
00:24:48THESE YEARS. IN MARCH I FIRST
00:24:53CAME TO THIS CAMPUS FOR AN EXECUTIVE COURSE AT COLUMBIA
00:24:56BUSINESS SCHOOL. FOR A WEEK. I
00:24:59LEFT AND RETURNED TO LOVE WITH
00:25:02THIS CAMPUS AND ITS PEOPLE, AND
00:25:03I DECIDED TO COME BACK FOR MY
00:25:08MASTER'S DEGREE. EIGHT YEARS
00:25:10LATER, I CAME BACK. I DID NOT
00:25:13KNOW THAT AT MY VERY FIRST
00:25:15ATTEMPT TO EVENT ABOUT
00:25:18PALESTINE, INVITING A HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH TO COME AND TALK
00:25:22ABOUT APARTHEID IN PALESTINE, I
00:25:26WOULD BE MET WITH HURDLES AND
00:25:27ROADBLOCKS ENACTED BY DEAN
00:25:30JARAMILLO. I DID NOT KNOW THAT
00:25:35BEHIND THESE WALLS WAS A ROTTEN
00:25:37INSTITUTION, INSTITUTIONALIZED
00:25:41ANTI-PALESTINIAN, BIGOTRY
00:25:42ENTRENCHED AND PUSHED DOWN FROM
00:25:45THE BOARD OF JARAMILLO IS NOT
00:25:50ONLY A TERRIBLE ADMINISTRATOR,
00:25:52IT'S NOT ONLY A FAILED DEAN
00:26:01SHIELD HERSELF FROM LEGITIMATE
00:26:04CONCERNS AND CRITICISM. HER
00:26:07PRIORITY HAS NEVER BEEN HER STUDENTS. ME AND MY FELLOW
00:26:11STUDENTS HERE. HER PRIORITY HAS
00:26:14ALWAYS BEEN ISRAEL OCTOBER 7th,
00:26:16ALL OF THIS INSTITUTIONALIZED
00:26:20RACISM SURFACED WITHIN DAYS,
00:26:21COLUMBIA PUSHED A FALSE
00:26:24NARRATIVE ABOUT THE NATURE OF
00:26:26OUR PROTESTS MET WITH COLUMBIA OFFICIALS MULTIPLE TIMES,
00:26:29PLEADING FOR SUPPORT FOR THE
00:26:33PALESTINIAN COMMUNITY. THOSE
00:26:35PLEAS WENT NOWHERE. COLUMBIA
00:26:39BANNED SJP AND JVP. THEY DEPLOYED INTRUSIVE SURVEILLANCE
00:26:43MECHANISMS AGAINST ITS OWN
00:26:44STUDENTS AND FACULTY. IT'S
00:26:50CALLED NYPD ONTO CAMPUS MULTIPLE
00:26:52TIMES TO BRUTALIZE THEIR OWN
00:26:55STUDENTS LAUNCHED SECRETIVE, GESTAPO LIKE OFFICE, THE OFFICE
00:26:59OF AND OTHER PRO-PALESTINE
00:27:07STUDENTS, TO INTIMIDATE US, NOT
00:27:08TO SPEAK OUT FOR PALESTINE. AND
00:27:13ALONGSIDE THAT, THEY HIRED PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS WHO CALLED
00:27:17ME WHEN I WAS IN CLASS TO ASK ME
00:27:21WHETHER I ATTENDED AN EVENT OR
00:27:23NOT. IMAGINE A UNIVERSITY HIRING
00:27:28PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS AGAINST
00:27:29THEIR OWN STUDENTS. ENOUGH.
00:27:35WHILE ME AND TENS OF COLUMBIA STUDENTS WERE READING THE NAMES
00:27:39OF THE KIDS AND CHILDREN WHO WERE KILLED IN PALESTINE BY
00:27:43ISRAEL, COLUMBIA AGAIN TRIED TO
00:27:48SMALL ACT OF REMEMBRANCE AND
00:27:53THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH COLOMBIA
00:27:56HARBORED THOSE THOSE HATEFUL
00:28:00ACTORS WHO ATTACKED SMEARED US
00:28:02DOGS. DOES IT EVEN REWARDED
00:28:04THEM, REWARDED THEM WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
00:28:08DISGRACEFUL SETTLEMENTS TWO
00:28:12YEARS, COLUMBIA TURNED OUR LIVES
00:28:13INTO HELL. IT PRIORITIZED THE
00:28:17PROTECTION AND WELL-BEING OF A
00:28:18SUBSET OF STUDENTS ALL OUR
00:28:23CONCERNS. AND PLEAS. IT
00:28:26INTENTIONALLY CREATED A HOSTILE
00:28:28ENVIRONMENT INTIMIDATE US, IT
00:28:32SAID THAT PALESTINIAN STUDENTS DID NOT MATTER, THAT OUR
00:28:36CONCERNS, OUR ARE UNWORTHY OF
00:28:38TASK FORCES, OF INVESTIGATIONS
00:28:42PROTECTION, BECAUSE NO ONE COULD
00:28:44CARE ABOUT US. THEN CAME THE
00:28:47MORNING OF MARCH 7th, WHEN I
00:28:49EMAILED THE PRESIDENT. BACK
00:28:52THEN, ARMSTRONG, URGING FOR ANY
00:28:56SUPPORT BECAUSE OF THE VICIOUS
00:28:59DISCRIMINATION, THE VICIOUS
00:29:00HARASSMENT AGAINST ME ABDUCTION,
00:29:07WAS A CHOICE, A CHOICE TO
00:29:09SUPPORT ME
00:29:18BEHIND ME, DEMAND MY RELEASE,
00:29:26TO ERASE ME, TO SCAPEGOAT ME, TO
00:29:29NEVER EVEN MENTION MY NAME. IT
00:29:33CHOSE THE LATTER. MY UNLAWFUL
00:29:37DETENTION, COLUMBIA HAS NOT REACHED OUT ONE TIME TO OFFER
00:29:41ANY SUPPORT TO ME. ON THE
00:29:43CONTRARY, THEY BARRED ME FROM
00:29:45CAMPUS. THE ONLY TIME THEY EMAILED US WAS ACTUALLY TO ASK
00:29:49US TO LEAVE COLUMBIA HOUSING. IT
00:29:57IS TIME TO HOLD THOSE WHO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST
00:30:00PALESTINIANS ACCOUNTABLE. IT IS TIME TO HOLD THEM FOR ALL THESE
00:30:04CRIMES AND ABUSES THAT THEY
00:30:06INFLICTED UPON US. TO PRESIDENT
00:30:09MNOOKIN, THIS IS YOUR
00:30:12OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE NOT JUST A PUPPET OF THE
00:30:15BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THAT YOU ARE NOT JUST FIGUREHEAD TO THIS
00:30:19BOARD OF TRUSTEES. YOU CAN TURN
00:30:24THE DARK PAGE OF HISTORY. YOU
00:30:25CAN RETRACT THE HARMFUL, HARMFUL
00:30:29STATEMENTS THAT COLUMBIA MADE AGAINST US AND CORRECT THE
00:30:32RECORD ABOUT THE PALESTINIAN
00:30:34LIBERATION MOVEMENT ON THIS
00:30:36CAMPUS, TO PRESIDENT, YOU MUST
00:30:45DO THE RIGHT THING. AND END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
00:30:48PALESTINIAN STUDENTS AND THEIR
00:30:49ALLIES. DO THE RIGHT THING. AND
00:30:55FIRE THE DISGRACED DEAN OF SIPA DEAN, KAREN >> [APPLAUSE]
00:30:59>> JARAMILLO. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:31:01>> WHO.
00:31:05>> NO STUDENT. REGARDLESS OF
00:31:07THEIR BACKGROUND, SHOULD EVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE HELL WE
00:31:11WENT THROUGH OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS. WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS
00:31:14VERY SIMPLE. EQUAL TREATMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, >> [APPLAUSE]
00:31:18>> EVERYONE
00:31:20>> [APPLAUSE]
00:31:31>> OKAY. >> [APPLAUSE]
00:31:31>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE HAVE
00:31:35TIME FOR A Q&A. ARE THERE ANY
00:31:39QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
00:31:41DIRECT TO MAHMOUD OR HIS TEAM?
00:31:52ANY >> [MUSIC] >> QUESTIONS? >> I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE
00:31:55ABOUT THE LEGAL PROCESS, LIKE WHERE THIS IS STANDING AND WHAT
00:31:57ARE KIND OF LIKE NEXT STEPS AS
00:32:00FAR AS YOU CAN SHARE.
00:32:02>> SO A QUESTION ABOUT STUDENTS,
00:32:06A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT'S THE CURRENT LEGAL WHAT, WHERE WE ARE IN THE CURRENT LEGAL PROCESS,
00:32:09WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? UM,
00:32:12MAYBE, UH, YEAH.
00:32:15>> SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE, UM, WE FILED A LAWSUIT THIS MORNING.
00:32:19IT WAS FILED EARLY THIS MORNING.
00:32:20AND THE NEXT STEP IS TO WAIT FOR
00:32:23COLUMBIA IS TO WAIT FOR COLUMBIA TO RESPOND. UM, AND THEN FROM
00:32:26THERE, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE COMPLAINT WAS
00:32:30FILED THIS MORNING, AND THAT'S
00:32:33WHERE IT STANDS. IT'S FOR MAHMOUD. IT'S FOR THE STUDENT GROUP FOR WHICH HE WAS THE
00:32:36PRESIDENT OF, UM, AT THE TIME THAT HE WAS DETAINED, PALESTINE
00:32:40WORKING GROUP. IT IS ALSO FOR,
00:32:43UM, ONE OF HIS FELLOW CLASSMATES AND MEMBERS, IBRAHIM, WHO WAS
00:32:46ALSO, UM, DISCRIMINATED AGAINST
00:32:49VERY HORRIBLY BY COLUMBIA THANK
00:32:53YOU
00:32:55>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES,
00:32:58MICHAEL. >> DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CONTINUING GATE CLOSURE, AND
00:33:01WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THAT THIS PROTECTS
00:33:04STUDENTS FROM BEING ABDUCTED BY ICE? >> THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU
00:33:08THINK ABOUT THE CONTINUED GATE CLOSURE, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK
00:33:11ABOUT THE IDEA THAT THIS SOMEHOW
00:33:15PROTECTS STUDENTS? I MEAN, ICE,
00:33:16WHEN THEY DETAINED ME, IT WAS
00:33:21INSIDE A COLUMBIA PROPERTY. AND THAT DID NOT STOP THEM FROM
00:33:24DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I STILL, COLUMBIA COLLABORATES
00:33:28WITH ICE, DESPITE THE GATES. AND
00:33:32JUST TO KNOW AND TO CORRECT THE
00:33:34MISUNDERSTANDING, THE GATES
00:33:37CLOSED BEFORE THE ENCAMPMENT. IT
00:33:38WAS AS A WAY TO CONTROL WHO IS
00:33:41PART OF THE COMMUNITY, TO
00:33:44CONTROL THAT COLUMBIA WOULD
00:33:46REMAIN OUTSIDE THIS VIBRANT
00:33:49COMMUNITY, THE HARLEM COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN ALWAYS. COLUMBIA'S
00:33:53AIM IS TO TAKE OVER THIS COMMUNITY, TO TAKE OVER THE
00:33:56PROPERTY AROUND THIS COMMUNITY,
00:33:58SO THAT IT'S THAT IT IS ITS
00:34:01OWN. UM, SO IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S A DISGRACEFUL ACT, A CONTINUED
00:34:04ACT THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE STUDENTS TO ENGAGE. AND I DON'T
00:34:07THINK THAT IT'S, AGAIN, THIS IS WEAPONIZATION OF SAFETY, THE
00:34:11SAME WAY THAT THEY WEAPONIZE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE PAST TO
00:34:15TARGET US, TO HARASS US. NOW,
00:34:16THEY ARE USING THE SAME TACTICS,
00:34:19THE SAME WEAPONIZATION, UM, TO,
00:34:22TO ISOLATE THE STUDENTS FROM ITS
00:34:27THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> AND ACTUALLY. >> WE ALSO HAVE PROFESSOR JOE
00:34:31HAWLEY TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION AS WELL. >> YEAH. I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO
00:34:35THE GATE CLOSURE. AS A CURRENT FACULTY MEMBER, THESE GATES HAVE
00:34:38BEEN OPEN TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD
00:34:41FOR DECADES WITHOUT A PROBLEM.
00:34:42AND IT IS TRULY REMARKABLE TO ME
00:34:47THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY ARE
00:34:50CLOSED TO PREVENT FURTHER PALESTINE PROTESTS. HOW
00:34:53INCREDIBLE IS THAT? WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE CAN
00:34:56REOPEN THIS CAMPUS? WHEN THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINE IS
00:34:59COMPLETE? I MEAN, THINK ABOUT
00:35:03THE LOGIC UNDERLYING THIS GATE CLOSURE. THE WORST THING THAT
00:35:06COULD HAPPEN FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS INSTITUTION IS IF THE
00:35:10GATES OPENED AND WE HAD ANOTHER PALESTINE PROTEST AND EVERYTHING
00:35:13WAS FINE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD
00:35:16GIVE THE LIE TO THE FUNDAMENTAL
00:35:19CLAIM BEING PEDDLED HERE, THAT THE PALESTINE SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT REPRESENTS SOME KIND OF
00:35:22THREAT, WHICH IT DOES NOT.
00:35:26>> [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. OKAY.
00:35:30>> AND, UH, WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. YEAH. UM, ALSO
00:35:34OUR, AS OUR, UM, EFFORT TO HOLD
00:35:38COLUMBIA ACCOUNTABLE, WE'RE ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF A HOTLINE FOR COLUMBIA STUDENTS
00:35:42AND FACULTY AND AFFILIATES TO REPORT ANY SORT OF
00:35:45DISCRIMINATION AND WRONGDOING
00:35:47THAT'S HAPPENING BY COLUMBIA,
00:35:49BECAUSE COLUMBIA, WE DON'T TRUST THAT COLUMBIA'S ACTUALLY
00:35:53RESPONDING TO OUR CONCERNS THE SAME WAY. WHEN I PLEADED TO
00:35:56COLUMBIA NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT ALL THE DOXXING, ABOUT ALL THE DANGER THAT WOULD, UM, THAT I
00:36:00WAS EXPECTING WOULD COME MY WAY.
00:36:04SO NOW WE'RE CREATING THIS PROCESS AND WE'RE CALLING FOR
00:36:07ALL STUDENTS IN COLUMBIA
00:36:09AFFILIATES TO REPORT THAT DIRECTLY TO US SO THAT WE CAN,
00:36:13UM, SHARE IT WITH OUR LAWYERS.
00:36:15IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY SECURED, UM, SORT OF, UM,
00:36:19MECHANISM TO DO THAT. WE'RE
00:36:21ALSO LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN, UM, AGAINST, I WOULD SAY THE, THE
00:36:26BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND
00:36:28COLUMBIA'S, UM, ISRAEL, UM,
00:36:32PROPAGANDA, UH, INSTITUTE, THE
00:36:34IGP, UM, TO CALL TO BOYCOTT THE
00:36:38VERY HARMFUL THAT I WOULD CALL IT WAR, WAR INSTITUTE. UM,
00:36:41THAT'S BEING HELD AT COLUMBIA
00:36:43AND PRESIDED BY HILLARY CLINTON
00:36:45AND THE DISGRACED DEAN
00:36:50JARAMILLO.
00:36:52>> YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH.
00:36:59>> UH, WALTZ, YOUR NEWS ADVICE FOR, UH, WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR
00:37:03STUDENTS WHO ARE NOW ENTERING THE CAMPUS? HOW CAN THEY DEAL
00:37:06WITH THIS REPRESSION? >> UM, I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE
00:37:09I'M THE BEST ONE TO GIVE ADVICE
00:37:14UM, BUT I THINK, LIKE, JUST TO
00:37:16REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE PART OF A BIGGER COMMUNITY, UH, THAT'S WAY
00:37:20LARGER THAN THE, THE COMMUNITY THAT COLUMBIA THIS, THIS CAMPUS,
00:37:24WHAT I LEARNED, UM, FROM
00:37:28STUDENTS AND FROM, UM, JUST LIKE ORGANIZING AND THE PEOPLE AROUND
00:37:31ME WAS MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN WHAT I LEARNED IN
00:37:35CLASSROOMS. UM, BECAUSE COLUMBIA
00:37:38TRIED TO SANITIZE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING IN AN ASSAULT TO ACADEMIC
00:37:42FREEDOM. UM, SO THAT'S, I THINK
00:37:45MY, MY FIRST ADVICE AND TO REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, UM,
00:37:48WHILE THEY ARE STUDYING RIGHT
00:37:50NOW. ISRAEL BASICALLY OBLITERATE
00:37:54LIBERATED, UM, UNIVERSITIES IN GAZA, UM, THEY KILLED STUDENTS.
00:37:57THEY, THEY BOMBED MOST OF THE, UM, THE UNIVERSITIES IN GAZA. SO
00:38:01JUST TO REMEMBER WHAT THE MORAL,
00:38:05UM, I WOULD SAY RESPONSIBILITY.
00:38:08UM, WE HAVE NOT ON