Anti-Israel protests begin at UW-Madison, Milwaukee
(The Center Square)– Add the University of Wisconsin to the list of schools experiencing anti-Israel protests.
Groups of students began to gather Monday on the campuses in Madison and Milwaukee, joining pro-Hamas groups on campuses across the country after the terrorist organization invaded Israel in October, killing more than 1,000 men, women and children and taking hundreds hostage.
Reports from the protest in Madison say the crowd chanted “From the river to the sea,” a mantra that essentially means eliminating Israel. Some in the crowd carried signs that read “Divest from genocide” and “Be free Palestine.”
Students at UW-Milwaukee gathered outside of the campus’ Golda Meir Library.
Some of the protesters in Madison set up tents, which is in violation to new UW-Madison protest rules.
The university on Friday updated its protest guidelines.
“For anyone who chooses to protest at UW–Madison, we encourage you to do so safely, within the boundaries of campus protest policies and the provisions established under Chapter 18 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which was enacted by the legislature and includes limits on the types of activities permitted on campus. Among other rules, this section specifically defines and prohibits camping on university property,” the university said in a statement.
The Wisconsin chapter of the ACLU pushed back on those rules.
“As anti-war protests spread to campuses in Wisconsin, university administrators are left with a choice – one that will determine which side of history they will be on. They can stay true to the Wisconsin Idea – the founding principle of our state university system – which holds that college campuses must serve as incubators for self-discovery and empower students to critically examine, understand, and interact with the world around them. Or they can, regrettably, decide to follow the path of other universities that have succumbed to political pressure, betraying and punishing their students, faculty, and staff for peacefully exercising their right to dissent,” ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Melinda Brennan said.
State Rep. Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee, joined the protesters in Milwaukee.
Rep. Barb Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, pushed the UW to do something about the protests.
“I pray you will get this handled NOW so our students can finish their finals and the term in peace and safety!” she said on social media Monday.
Republican lawmakers in Congress have threatened to take federal funding away from college and universities that don’t put a stop to anti-semetic protests calling for the genocide of Jews.
