Pro-Palestinian protesters support UW-Milwaukee leaders, protest agreement
(The Center Square) – A day after the head of the University of Wisconsin said he was disappointed with the way UW-Milwaukee’s chancellor brought an end to the campus protests there, the groups that protested came out in full-throated support of UWM.
The Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine released an open letter “applauding” UW-Milwaukee leaders for peacefully ending the protests.
“We applaud the university for not employing violence against their own students. The agreement between the administration and the students amounted to ongoing dialogue, that is the minimum to be expected from an institution of higher learning. These students represent a new generation of peace activists in the spirit of Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These brave students are finding the path towards peace is marred by oppressive racists who are more concerned with upholding the status quo of violence and hatred than of peace and human dignity,” the letter states.
The letter also accuses Jewish groups and some Jewish students of supporting what the protesters call “Israel’s massacres.”
“The Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Hillel and ADL are organizations which serve as the Israeli government’s PR machine in this country and specifically here in Milwaukee. Tactics designed to silence any criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians are employed at all levels of society. Their attacks on a peaceful community of students who have become our collective conscience on the horrific slaughter is shocking but not surprising. The narrative of these zionists shows a lack of reasoning and human sanity,” the letter added.
UW President Jay Rothman on Tuesday said he is “disappointed” in the agreement that UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone signed with campus protesters. Rothman did not say which part of the agreement he dislikes but said the university must remain “viewpoint neutral.”
UWM’s agreement with protesters called for a ceasefire and called on Israel to release what the agreement refers to as Palestinian “hostages” being held in Israeli jails.
UWM is also promising not to bring any discipline against the protesters who spent two weeks illegally camping on campus.
In exchange for the university’s support, the protesters agreed not to disrupt this weekend’s graduation. But protest leaders said earlier this week that may bring their tents back to campus if they are disappointed in UWM’s performance.
