Rival protests clash at UCLA, police arrest Columbia demonstrators

Author Avatar

CBS News

Joined: Mar 2024
Spread the love


Rival protests clash at UCLA, police arrest Columbia demonstrators


The protests over the war in Gaza that have gripped college campuses across the U.S. came to a head Tuesday night as violent clashes erupted between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter-protesters at UCLA and police moved to arrest dozens of demonstrators who occupied a building at Columbia University. CBS News’ Carter Evans and Lilia Luciano…

source

Reviews

0 %

User Score

0 ratings
Rate This

Sharing

Leave your comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

33 Comments

  1. Not all speech is free and not all speech deserves defending. Especially when that speech spews a rhetoric of hate. For those that think this is a simple protest and violates the First Amendment and blah blah blah, take some time to educate yourself on the entities that are financing these operations and have otherwise been influencing the US collegiate educational system over the past 20+ years.

    Let's start with a brief history of Iran. In 1978, Islamic Revolution transformed Iran from an absolute monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, one of the leaders of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic. The revolution began in January 1978 with the first major demonstrations and concluded with the approval of the new theocratic Constitution—whereby Ayatollah Khomeini became Supreme Leader of the country—in December 1979. In between, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi left the country for exile in January 1979 after strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country, and on February 1, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran. The final collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty occurred shortly after on February 11 when Iran's military declared itself "neutral" after guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah in armed street fighting. Iran officially became an Islamic Republic on April 1, 1979, when Iranians overwhelmingly approved a national referendum to make it so.

    The new Iranian government seized the Shah's assets including the Pahlavi Foundation, a nonprofit group used by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to advance Iran's charitable interests in America. The Iranians renamed the organization as the Alavi Foundation. Alavi can be translated as "divine" or "of Ali". In Muslim tradition, Ali is the son-in-law of Muhammad.

    Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Iran, however, is controlled by a radical sect of Islam that seeks to wipe out anything and anyone that does not subscribe to their radical views, namely Jews.

    Most of the charity's income is from rent collected on the Piaget Building, a skyscraper at 650 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Not ironically, most of the pro-Palestinian riots and protests in Manhattan take place in Bryant Park at the main branch of the New York Public Library (which you can see in the opening scenes of the movie Ghostbusters for you movie buffs). The library is less than 1/2 mile from Alavi Foundations New York offices.

    What’s this got to do with Gaza? Let’s go back to the time when our British cousins controlled the middle east. The year is 1920 and WWI just ended. The Ottoman empire had previously controlled the portion of the middle east that included present day Israel, Jordan, and much of the middle east. Woodrow Wilson pushed to create The League of Nations. Britain assumed responsibility for Palestine under a League of Nations Mandate. During the next two decades, over 100,000 Jews entered the country. The British Army intervened in Palestine during this period against militant Arab groups who were opposed to this mass Jewish immigration. Flash forward to the end of WWII. Enough Jews has emigrated to the country that they revolted against the British and created the independent state of Israel. Many Arabs fled to the portion of the middle east known today as the Gaza Strip.

    Now, before the trolls go on to comment on inaccuracies, I am posting a brief synopsis, not the history of the world. We can go back before Islam existing as a religion if we want to dissect who has a right to what, when, and where.

    Back to the story, WWI, WWII, Arabs flee to Gaza. Throughout the 1950s-1980s, various Arab nations take turns trying to wipe Israel off the map. In 1987 Hamas forms at the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada (uprising). Its roots are in the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and it is supported by a robust sociopolitical structure inside the Palestinian territories. The group’s charter calls for establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel and rejects all agreements made between the then Palestine Liberation Army (remember Yasir Arafat?) and Israel. Hamas’ strength is concentrated in the Gaza Strip and areas of the West Bank.

    Hamas has a military wing known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades that has conducted many anti-Israel attacks in both Israel and the Palestinian territories since the 1990s. These attacks have included large-scale bombings against Israeli civilian targets, small-arms attacks, improvised roadside explosives, and rocket attacks. Iran is a backer of Hamas and views it as a proxy in the struggle against Israel. Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip in Palestine since its takeover of the region from rival party Fatah in June 2007.

    To summarize, Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, Hamas is a bunch of fun-loving guys dedicated to eradicating Jews and Israel, Iran and Hamas are friends, and Alavi is THE Foundation that promotes Iranian interests in the United States.

    If you want to dispute that last point, see this link to a DOJ action on Alavi activities in the US: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/acting-manhattan-us-attorney-announces-historic-jury-verdict-finding-forfeiture-midtown

    Here is a great quote from the DOJ on Alavi:

    “We found evidence that the government of Iran really controlled everything about the foundation,” Adam Kaufmann, investigations chief at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, told the Post.

    Now that we know that the Alavi Foundation exists, what do they do? According to their website, quite a lot: https://alavifoundation.us/grantprograms/.
    One specific activity is funding for schools. But which schools? That can also be found on their website: https://alavifoundation.us/financial/donations-to-universities/. Well, only the data through 2014 can be found there. Let’s just assume they haven’t gotten around to updating that data in the past 10 years. Or they don’t want to. The schools that are at the top of the funding pool: Columbia University, Harvard, Rutgers, Catholic University of the Americas. What schools have been flash points for the antisemitic hatred on college campuses? Columbia University, Harvard, Rutgers, Catholic University of the Americas.

    According to a 2016 fundraising appeal, the following universities receive grants from Alavi: Bard College; Boston University; Brandeis University; Columbia University; Drew University; Eastern Mennonite University; George Mason University; Hartford Seminary; Harvard University; Harvard University Law School; Lake Forest University; Sacred Heart University; University of Chicago; Binghamton University; Cal State, Fullerton; Cal State, Los Angeles; Cal State, Northridge; Carleton University (Canada); City College of New York; Concordia University; Georgia State University; CUNY Hunter College; Kutztown University; McGill University (Canada); Ohio State University; Portland State University; Rutgers University; San Diego State University; Temple University; University of Alberta (Canada); University of Arizona; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Florida; University of Maryland; University of Michigan; University of Southern California; University of Texas, Austin; University of Utah; University of Virginia; University of Wisconsin, Madison; University of Pennsylvania; Utah State University.

    That list is growing and looking really familiar when you consider headlines.

    Per the Alavi Foundation website, grants are needed as follows:
    “The absence of diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States has resulted in a substantially diminished exchange of scholars and students between the two countries. As a result, Shia studies, Iranian studies, and especially the teaching of Persian language have all drastically been reduced or even eliminated from many university programs. Therefore, the Alavi Foundation's academic grant program has been vital to the community and toward the preservation of Shia studies, Iranian studies, and the teaching of Persian language. The Alavi Foundation encourages universities in North America to offer courses on Persian language, Iranian studies, and the Islamic culture with a focus on Shi'ite studies. Alavi Foundation grants are instrumental in building the continuity and quality of such higher education programs.”

    Let’s connect more dots.

    To summarize (again), Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, Hamas is a bunch of fun-loving guys dedicated to eradicating Jews and Israel; Iran and Hamas are friends; Alavi is THE Foundation that promotes Iranian interests in the United States (per their website); AND the universities funded by Alavi have been the most tolerant flash points of these antisemitic riots.

    For those who understand that these riots must be funded (food, water, signs, tents, medical stations…all these things cost money) must wonder where the funding comes from. Parents should question how their kids have been influenced by programs promoted by these academic institutions. Kids should ask themselves how they have become pawns in this game.

    This is not to accuse Alavi of funding these riots…but it sure is a strange coincidence that this Iranian backed organization funds colleges that appear to tolerate these antisemitic riots.

  2. Palestine is not a religious issue, but a humanitarian issue, colonialism, occupation and genocide. Encouragement for UCLA students who are humanizing humans. You are the next generation of the nation, country and world. Shout loudly at the injustice of the world.
    " BRAVO UCLA STUDENTS"

  3. Bias reporting. The truth is the extreme pro-Israel mobs attacked the peaceful encampment students at UCLA. There were many reporters there during the attack and recording the incident. The videos of evidence proved your reporting is biased and misleading.

  4. Bias reporting. The truth is the extreme pro-Israel mobs attacked the peaceful encampment students at UCLA. There were many reporters there during the attack and recording the incident. The videos of evidence proved your reporting is biased and misleading.

  5. The comparisons to Vietnam are. just . . . well . . . ignorant. The U.S. had an active role in Vietnam; the U.S. does not have an active role in the Hamas/Israeli conflict. It's so simple.

  6. They had to bring in the violence to wreck what could have been a meaningful event,
    so that attention wd be drawn away from the reasons for the gathering.
    Those kids would have been able to work out their differences among their peers;
    the Jewish Voices for Peace would not have been ridiculed and denigrated,
    but for the intrusion of cidfa counter-protestors and their (war-chem) Skunk spray
    tactics, bitter invective and hately, spit-ful stances.

    Had the cops (& agents) not been brought in, the protests would have gone smoothly enough,
    and wdn't 've brought nearly the attention the affair has garnered in the press.
    But Yahu wanted All Ears on his warning (read threat) of "Terrible Consequences"
    if the students (especially the jews) don't stop all their 'antisemitic' protesting;
    and no-abidin Biden echoed BiB, condemning the 'antisemitic' protesters and everyone
    that "doesnt understand what's going on with the ppPalestinians"…

    There’s video of the Emory professor being arrested and thrown to the ground
    and having her faced pushed into the turf, by two hefty idf-trained pigs, one with his knee
    on the base of her neck while the other might have dislocated her shoulder putting the wrist-ties on.
    Where's the follow-up on that? I heard They charged HER with assault on a p-off; she oughta at least sue.
    All she did was ask them why they were doing to a student what they did to her moments later.
    And now all heck is breaking…

    The Homeless Nakba is happening simultaneously across the nation.
    The yt thumbnails look very similar to the Campus Nakba liberation camps.
    The homeless are being shuffled around and arrested like so many students & Pals…
    A common thread runs through all these 'movements'—

    The Right To Exist

  7. This protests need to end. We all should go back to work and pay taxes to fund Government's wars. Let's not think healthcare, education, housing. Let's get angry at this protesters instead. Everything's fine for the people anyway…

  8. “Counter demonstrators “ you mean violent pro Israeli protesters at UCLA attacking peaceful pro Palestinian protesters. Slanted language.
    Columbia University rich donors using taxpayer dollars by calling police (whom would normally walking the beat protecting citizens) to break up protesting students who are against funding genocide. Rich donors to universities and politicians are the problem with this country.

  9. What happen to the peaceful and nonviolent protest that Mahatma Gandhi did that brought down the British rule of India. A guilt and shameful Hindu came up to Mahatma Gandhi and said in the religious war his family, his wife, daughter, and son, were massacred by the Muslims. He then massacred a Muslim family and felt deeply remorseful for what he had done. Mahatma Gandhi told the Hindu to find an orphan Muslim brother and sister whose parents were killed by Hindus and raises them as his family, but he must raise them in the Muslim faith.