was word to describe what setting the agenda for tomorrow's discussions right now. if you're on campus talking about the site, you are being called anti semitic and a supporter of care international filmmakers and will cross journalist bring programs to enforce and inspire to options await us in the immediate future by the prices for climate revolution. so now to sierra from coast to coast is rising in us universities against, as well as who own garza to fly across to students and demanding that schools. hotels links with israel, but how things play tests become politicized. and this freedom of speech and the price. this is inside story, the

hello there, and welcome to the program. i'm nora, kyle students and american universities have for decades to adopt for what they believed and from fighting for social justice on equal rights to pushing back against global was they've made the voices had and now the speaking out against as well as will on gauze, which has killed more than fussy, 4000 people. in the past 6 months, the protests which began in new york, columbia university intensified last week. the police cracked down, followed close. the iron gets us. but to all the universities in the us and even to europe and australia, the students say the right to protest is being crushed. and these demonstrations may have an even bigger impact since it's an election. yeah, in the united states, we'll get the thoughts of august in just a moment for us possibly call haven brookings, our coverage from one protest to george washington university. and this in cabin is

unique because here during the washington university, it didn't exist until thursday morning. the students said they were encouraged to do this because of what happened at columbia. and this is also unique, and this isn't just george washington. this is students from 8 different schools, universities all around the washington area where their main demand is the investments. these are some of the wealthiest schools with the large developments in the country. they want to see more transparency and exactly what they invest in . and also they want to see them divest from any company that does business with israel. and again, that's just one of many demand, and you'll notice that they've been hanging out masks of the students. that's because many of them, the profile, so named purchased to say they've been docs, they've had their pictures put on trucks and driven or on campus, and their information puts online. so a lot of masks because there is concern about repercussions that said they say they're not going to go anywhere until their demands are met. patty calhane, washington, dc for inside story. so let's take

a closer look at why university campuses have become a focal point for growing on positions the will ongoing. so students at columbia university in new york setup and gone. so solidarity and comments on april 17th, it appears that tends on campus a day off the columbia present minish suffix faced a congressional hearing on allegations of anti semitism at the university. she then called in police to despise the protest as well that a 100 students were arrested in the crackdown, but another comp sprang up, protest of sense and dropped it on the subject. campuses around the us escalating tensions on sparking debates about freedom of speech, students and demanding the universities called financial ties with companies and weapons manufacturers profiting from as well as war last spring. and i'll guess now, and they're all joining us from the united states in new york. we have to to ha

palestinian john less than student at the columbia university graduate school of journalism in austin, texas. we'll be hearing from jeremy story, a story and, and professor for global leadership, history and public policy at the university of texas at austin and then washington political strategist. i'm full met, senior, congressional aid, rena shaw. thank you very much. all of you for being with us, jude. let's start with you. if you can give us an idea of the current situation that at columbia university on this friday morning, as we record the show, because this is where it all began, with deadlines to clear that come keep been extended us on thank you so much for having me absolutely, columbia is where the. ringback original encampment took place, i was there for the pitching of the original tense on the south, long before they decided to move to the opposite line after arrest. um, the situation inside the campus is quite different from the situation outside the

campus. what we're seeing right now is students are settling in to the encampment. there are groups of people forming. there's a lot of community being grown inside a lot of those kitchens. a lot of um, activities that show solidarity with what i've said with palestine protests and chance can be heard obviously outside the campus and outside the campus is quite a different story. protests for palestine have been prevalent since day one of the encampment yesterday. we saw a huge pro is rarely protest that was organized by. busy to extremist from what i've seen on social media is pro, is really, professors were surrounding campus and like tv was present and cans were heard for and support of israel with bring the hostages home. meanwhile, inside service, some pro palestinian students were facing the day and they were getting called

names. we heard a few slurs while i was reporting out there of the tensions are high outside the campus. but inside the encampment, solidarity is on an extreme high. there is a level of peace inside the encampment. students are familiar with each other. they are comfortable, you know, it's not easy being outside the weather in new york has been should be um, but students have been dedicated in their demands. they are asking that everyone center as it, especially when they are talking about the reasoning of the encampment and especially under suppression. they're pretty united and stating that all those through them. usually they have a concern, but they, the account is going to get pled. there are concerns certainly negotiations are happening as far as we know. last night we received an e mail that negotiations are happening and that an n y p d sweep is not in sight for yesterday. everybody's a new day. negotiations are being updated quite a frequently the campus have

a general assembly nearly every night to announce to students or, and they get mad about updates. as far as we know, we have not heard anything as for today. okay, jeremy, let's get the idea of the situation. the university of texas, where he will, how is the university responding to protest the so the university brought in police to the campus, particularly state police as well as city police and university police on wednesday . and this made the situation worse, i would say that on our campus, there are a lot of students who are very concerned about what's happening in the middle east . a majority are probably more concerned about the treatment of civilians in gaza and elsewhere. but there's a very large contingent that's also concerned about israel security and not is really hostages. we're still being held by him us. so the campus has a lot of concern that's being boys, but it has been peaceful. there are no encampments, there was

a demonstration on wednesday and the police were brought it to campus. and as i've written about the arrival of the police made things worse, it provoked students and provoked violence with us both via a wireless, between the police and the students. most of the violence came from the police yesterday was much more calm. there were larger demonstrations, but they were peaceful and there was very little police presence on campus. so, so far we've had expressions of concern from students a relatively divided campus, but a campus that is not at war with itself. and we've had a very little while. okay, a reno gets more on the cracks down in just a moment. the 1st floor is when it gets your ideas, we will feelings about the student protests that really has spread across so many university campuses. you surprised to see the speed and, and the intensity with which has taken hold. this is democracy in action, and i actually think it's a very beautiful thing because as a long time political,

it's spider operative. i can tell you this year of being a presidential election year. so what's on the line here and easy to cited states. one thing that is seemingly widespread has been voter apathy so far because we have the same 2 choices we had in 2020, the american voter in general, but something new every few years. and we don't have that this time around. so what we're seeing again is uh, is a lot of worry amongst those of us, of the political class that really want to see political participation. we're wondering what turnout is going to be like, how the letter feels as what i see and move it like this. the students taking a piece for non violent actions, expressing their concern about the us government, backing of israel, a will or tax peer don't always. i think that the stream we help each and that's not a partisan statement to make. it's just saying that this is what's enshrined, our constitution, the ability to assemble peacefully, the ability to use your voice, democracy in the streets as an incredible incredible thing. and so i am supportive

of the students doing so non violently and peacefully again because this expression again speaks to what is going to be so important on the ballot in november. okay, well then what do we make of the things jump on that because what do you make of the response then to these protests that have by and large as you say being peaceful? well, i could speak to the congressional response for republicans and the house chamber. when they went to columbia university's campus, i was taken aback. number one, i just want our audience to know that that is such an unusual move. we've not seen that in the modern era as somebody who was served to former republican members, the house. if i were still there advising, i would have absolutely advised against it and said it was a bad move on top of it. the word of the speaker and the other members of the house that they were delivering on a private campus calling for the reservation of the private speaking to students in a way that painted all of that with

a broad brush speaking to is beating down to them i mean, the students, no matter where you book from coast to coast, they are the future of this country. these people are elected to serve as your representative. and for them to take that tone, that all of these students assembled were part of the hate field speech. i get it there are bad actors and every move it we should conduct them, but not all students assembled. and these tend, in camp beds are out there wanting to salt their fellows, you were students, they are all out there can sort of get about america's role. and backing may be that young. while on the one hand, you're supplying weapons and funds to do what he wants to do and god that without listening to bided. and on the other hand were sending billions in a humanitarian aid to gaza. this is a hypocrisy the students are concerned about. and the rational lead it continue giving unfettered support is we'll simply on the basis of all of their religion, i think is a horrible move. and that's not recognizing the separation of church and state. i yeah, i mean, i just want to jump in that because the judge is obviously at columbia university

where the republican house become like johnson visited on wednesdays, is what we know was just talking about what the students feelings towards a republic. i'm johnson's visit that i'm to be quite honest. there wasn't much of the reaction from the cabinet as far as. busy was there, a lot of the students are very, very focused on their demands. they're very focused on upholding community guidelines. and they're very focused about they believe that what they're doing is right. you know, they believed that their voices should be heard. they come from a legacy of student protesters and they are less concerned with freedom of speech, of what the person said. they're just kind of concerned more so about what's happening in hudson. they're complicity. and that i think the, the expected this response, however, it did not really face much the conversations and then then cabinet were very much

so, so focused on the, on the investment on building community and how to further their solidarity was palestine. and that's been the focus as far as i've been there. okay, a jeremy and another example of politicians getting involved. there are quite a few that we'll get to, but this one is the take the texas does not greg alberts cooling these demonstrations anti semitic all day. a, you know, there are certain anti semitic elements invoices that have been heard. there has been some vandalism of the health center at u t. uh with um, actually submitted the cd and things of that sort. so there had been instances of anti semitism, but certainly on wednesday when the police were called in uh that demonstration happened to be behind my office and them in my office right near where that and i, i was outside for about 45 minutes to an hour during the demonstration, when the police went into the demonstration and i did not hear

a single anti semitic chance, i did not see a single anti semitic sign. these were students arguing for free palestine, and then they were jewish students. they're arguing for freeing the hostages, and in that case, the video that you're showing now, uh that was a reaction to a demonstration that was free speech and that was not anti semitism. entered. what about here of about on colombia, what evidence of you seeing if any of anti semitism may have been a couple of instances that have spent quite widely on that media. for example, of assigned being held up pointing towards pro israel student saying, this is, these are how mazda is next target. so we know, since is like that really don't help the close today. that's what i've seen. and the intent man, there is a very large jewish presence. jewish was the service had been essential for the the solidarity encampment in columbia. what i've also seen is there was a press conference held by 2 students who were suspended or arrested outside the

president's house. where they verbalize that they do not feel comfortable with their jewish voices being used and designing spaces, or used to as an excuse for what's happening in the let's say, i do know that certain instances have gone viral. i would like to emphasize that the instances have so far been outside of the encampment and there are a lot of, there was a lot of presence, especially in the early days of pro palestine. protestors that we're entering in and out of campus, you know, campus is locked down and access is restricted. but that does not mean that necessarily everyone that is coming in and out as a student. i will also say that certain chance that have been going borrow all taking place outside the campus inside the campus. the saw there it is extremely high between um as far as i am, is jewel students and football stadium, students and then cabinet is set up to be accessible to all and it's very

affordable and the, even the services that are being provided there, there is a food table that has food, nearly for everyone, there's kosher food, there's allowed food. so i do want to say that although these instances have happened inside the encampment on the special reduced voices inside, they kept ment are insisting that the focus should not be on their feelings. it should go back to us. there was an outside the encampment. yesterday's protest um was quite surprising because a few of the demonstrators so we're saying remarks that don't necessarily align with the broader idea of what pros. rarely, protesters are saying, i think and movements such as this one, there is a lot of people present that not don't necessarily all share the same values. however, in the got the other the encampment, the instances of anti semitism, i have not been able to see or pinpoint and i had been, i haven't been there in nearly every day. okay. for most the day reporting right

now when you, when you head jude's account of the situation on jeremy's accounts, the situation down that in texas it doesn't seem like there's much of a problem with these protests. and yet we've got politicians making more of it then perhaps is necessary. why are the presidents of these universities being hold in front of congressional committee hearings to explain the stones on anti semitism the law? unfortunately, we exist in an era where pure political theatre seems to winch a political points for, for people who sit at the highest purchase of our landed leadership. and there is no other explanation but that, you know, look on the republican side, even this past fall. if you paid attention to the republican primary debates in which the former governor of south carolina and for were you in a basset or did you leave was successful in many ways. she talked about the israel being americans only allied in the region. and i talked to a number of democrats over the years as well,

especially this past week. and they saying that they don't think biden is taking a different approach to any american president. what i think was that the core of the here, the students and even regular everyday americans like me, feel very, very strongly that the approach we take it to dealing with benjamin netanyahu is rock. the bottom going can do well has had a grip drop approach to the geo political tension. we're seeing in ukraine. we're seeing again in gaza. i don't feel that there is much leadership of the wheel and again, this is across the board. so okay, what we're seeing right, that frustration coming to the force and what i think is most important though, is to remember what former president trump said he would do. he said he would broker piece in the middle east or his son in law. he did not, we are so far away from the 8 solution is laughable. but this is the final point just in the past few weeks. we've heard week audio as well as i think on the record

statements. i could be wrong about that from a former president. trump, excuse me, would get as a candidate right now for the white house. you see that being human that yahoo should call this off. this is not good. he needs to bring this to an end, right. okay. jeremy, i can see i want him to jump in the as well. i think this is actually about something larger than the middle east for the last 2 to 3 years. many politicians have been attacking universities and the same politicians who today are saying that universities like columbia and the university of texas to track down on an anti submitted speech as i see it are the same politicians who 2 or 3 years ago said we didn't have enough free speech, but there weren't enough voices for conservatives on our campus. what i think we're witnessing is that politicians, particularly the republican party, but not exclusively, but largely in the republican party, are fearful of a young generation that is more diverse, that has different view points and a young generation that is quite frankly opposed to most of what the republican party is about if we're talking about abortion rights,

if we're talking about religious freedom, if we're talking about various things us policy toward different parts of the world . many of these protesters are also against what the democratic party is for, but they are seen as more threatening to the republican party. and so for the last 3 to 4 years, the republican party has been using universities as a whipping boy, as a place for which they can flex their muscles and show that they are conservative and show that they're tough and blame students for problems that are not made by students and so i mean that's why this fell on that point. how do you think the college administrators are standing up to that? well, i think the college administrators are doing a very poor job of standing up to that. and the reason they're doing a poor job is 1st of all, they are hoping for goodwill from politicians. many of these politicians who are attacking universities are the products of these universities. at least a phonic who graduated from harvard university was the person who attacked the president of harvard university. so 1st of all, administrators have to recognize that politicians are now more hostile than they

were. and most administrators are trying not to be vocal. and if they're not vocal, if they're staying out of the debate, what's happening is they're letting the politicians dominate the debate. we need to hear university administrators stand up more vocally for free speech stand up for the rights and interests of students, not taking political sides, but defending what an academic environment is about. do you agree with that or how did your rates present minutia, fix testimony at her congressional hearing? a parents did. did she give students a student's hand what they wanted to hear, but she was defending them? she was defending the right to free speech. i don't believe that that is what they heard, especially at columbia university where there is an anti semitism task force that was created in response to the protesters and anti semitism was not defined. so we don't know what anti semitism is in regards to the task force. it's kind of like, oh,

i'll know it when i see it. i think i'll be university. what super interesting as well as we're seeing faculty stand up for academic freedom and freedom of speech. the faculty had a huge display on los library steps where essentially what they were saying is, although we might not all agree politically. and majority of us agree that students deserve the space to vocalize and protest. what they believe is right to have an environment where they can voice out their opinions. they can see what they believe and not be under threat of suspension, not be under right of eviction, not be under threat of losing their academic degrees. and i do think that largely on columbia is campus. many faculty members are quite upset at the reaction, especially bringing the n y b deep into arrest protestors who are largely peaceful . i think that the slave really shock columbia as a society as a community to its core because it's assumed that there are no each this being especially when the process has been as targeted as they were by administration. as

pro palestinian students have been dealing with disciplinary action since we 1st brought this happened on campus. and i do think that there is no more space for these students to vocalize and verbalize what they want to say. this is why the income is such a specialist space for them. essentially, what is happening is when students walk into the encampment, they feel like you're living in the reality that is shared where they can share what they're saying. they can be upset about it and still feel supported and around the community. okay. teachers have been as for them, so you know, i can say you're wanting something that go ahead. yeah. you know, i think it's what the students have highlighted with these movements, which i believe we'll see more over the weekend and into next week is the, the, someone to grade us here. and, and look, i've been a political operative for a very long time and try to have the great privilege of traveling united states, speaking to rural and urban americans. and this is what rule americans also want. they don't want billions of our tax peer dollars going overseas to kill other

people, to have other leaders decide indiscriminately to do what they want to do. you know, a lot of our politics today is sensationalized, but one thing that's not is these dispatches out of the middle east, out of the ukraine, that show us the devastation that certain leaders are bringing to certain parts of the world. and that is a shock not only to the consciousness, because we're getting it steadily, we're getting in a way we've never had before. we are more technologically connected to the ballot box than ever before. and in the same way they, that's coming is incessant. and that is what has shown the american people and students this what republicans should want. they should want critical thinking. they should want students to express themselves peacefully and really di, set these this to there's a lot of great here, but i'm not jewish. i'm not most of them, but i can empathize with apply to both. you can be an american. i heard this from rural and urban american. you can be somebody that says, i want the hostages of october,

so it's returned and i want the killing. whatever the baby is doing and got to stop for there to be a per fire, there is a lot of great you're the fortunately doesn't get talked about. nope. and this movement is highlighting. so jeremy, there's a couple of weeks left of tom. do see these protests continuing into the summer, even returning and the also, when the election happens in november? well, i think we will see more protests for the next week or 2 of the term, but i do think they'll be some over the summer, but it will become more sparse. and that might be a good thing that might be a cooling off period. and what happens in the fall will be very much influenced by the events of the summer. do events in the middle east continue to expand as the violence continued to expand there? how does us policy change? uh, how does the us government's role seen by students? so there are a lot of variables. what i do want to say though, is, although i agree with the points being made about how this there, there's

a lot of are there should be a lot of agreements from rural voters, with many of the things that were just sad. i will say that attacking demonstrators of universities always works with verbal voters because world voters, the university students as privileged. and even though they might not like spending money in the middle east, they see. but what the students are doing or the way it's depicted, they see it as unpatriotic. and this is why in the 1960s, in the 19 seventies and today, certain conservative politicians will often attack universities and attack the privilege of students and universities. unfortunately, this is supposed to be effective, so republicans will continue to do this. i would expect to see more of it. okay, during the last word to who, how would you like the university to respond going forward to these protests? so i think the response should be of genuine conversation and consideration with the demands the protesters are making. i think a lot of students and they can't ment demanding that investment demands in financial transparency. does that demanding amnesty as

a result of their crack down needs to be heard? and i think a lot of the focus should be on the fact that they want actionable steps. they no longer want to be complicit. they want there was to be heard and i think i want to make a point to say that all the students do go to these prestigious universities. a lot of them are risking quite a lot to make the statement heard and to them it feels worth it. one of them has been told to me last night was, were sitting in the university in camps, but we are optionally choosing to be here because there are no more universities standing in the us that they are saying that although the crackdown has been brutal, the focus should be that's on the fact that they are safe there and that students and leslie and other people, unless they are not sick and i think there needs to be a real reckoning with the reasoning these protests are happening. i reason people demanding that last night. dude, we do have to leave it the money. thanks to all of the great to hear your voice is

on this topic, jude todd jeremy's story, and reading a show and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting a website that's al jazeera dot com for further discussion to gauge well facebook page, that's facebook dot com forward slash a inside story. you can also join the conversation on x all handle is apt, a inside story from me, laura kyle and the whole team here. bye for now. the the latest news as a israel vowing a military response for situation remain from nationwide with detailed coverage. it's only taking a few hours to turn the city streets into canals room and isolated from around the world showing by russian full series of the band and the surrounding countryside, causing fires like this in the forests virtually every day are

in a post colonial world. the stalls of european imperialism run the nowhere more so than in the democratic republic of congo. wherever restrict history still shapes the presence of the serial. yet instant insights to the eyes of a whistle blower and the patriarch ministry come on. witness presents. this is come on a jersey, the phone calls you the calls, global ministry spending, as i said, all time high. why it nation is racing to buy weapons? will western sciences impacts or runs ability to wage a war against israel? fuss, why? it's really, it's ancient city advantage is charging entry fees per day. trippers counts you. the cost on out of their indonesia is building a new capital city. deep in the jungles of borneo,

this is for the original open across the nation. but not everyone supports the idea of india and get that someone would definitely have. we see this as an authoritarian decision who's on the 101 east where deals indonesia using a megacity on out to 0. the carriage on the same day while the top stores on out is here, the camp set top at columbia university, new york. and it's sort of dance with palestine is turned into a movement that has spread across the united states to europe and beyond. students on demanding the schools divest from israel and the columbia. they're promising to maintain the incumbent until their demands on that. universities have made several offers, promising to examine and review the investments. but it's not enough for the students more than $550.00 protests have been arrested so far. today is day

203 of genocide for palestinians in gaza and nearly 75 years of colonial violence from the apartheid state of.