In the United States we have the right to express our beliefs but not at the expense of others.  This precious right, borne out of the First Amendment and part of the Bill of Rights is protected for the liberal class while eviscerated for traditional Americans. 

Sadly these days, our First Amendment rights are dependent now on how woke we are.  If you are woke enough, you have the protection of speech, your religion, press coverage, and right of assembly.  However, at some point the right to express one’s beliefs in freedom of assembly can no longer be protected when the rights of others are violated.  With the pro-Palestinian protests across the country disrupting colleges with their anti-Israel hate, we have to ask ourselves is this about the war or is this about socialism vs. democracy and Judeo-Christian beliefs vs. Islamic beliefs? 

Colleges are under siege, swarmed by protesters that I question fully understand the foundation of their argument.  Some (perhaps many) are hired by George Soros and his Open Society and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund through the funding of grants and paying cash.  What is the objective of these elitists? It is to destabilize the democracies of the West.

When an assembly becomes violent, obstructs traffic, interferes with other people’s freedom to go about their daily lives, or when it turns into a riot, it is violating the rights of others.  Additionally, the right of assembly must be balanced with property rights, public safety, and the rights of others to be free from harassment and intimidation. 

Consider these instances where pro-Palestinian protesters have infringed upon the rights of others at university campuses:

• Disruption of campus activities: 
  • Instances where protesters set up encampments or block access to university facilities have led to arrests and administrative actions.
  • Protestors at Columbia University campus took control of an academic building on Tuesday, barricading the entrance.
• Violent threats: 
  • Protestors at Columbia University threatened Jewish students with violence, with a protestor saying “Zionists don’t deserve to live”
  • At UCLA, a Jewish woman was assaulted by pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israel protesters were pepper-sprayed by pro-Palestinian protesters.
  • Clashes have occurred with police at UT Austin and other locations with direct assaults of police officers.
• Limiting Access to Campus Space
  • Protesters blocked access to campus space at UCLA
  • Protesters occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, blocking access to students
  • Protesters at Paris Institute for Political Studies blocked access to a campus building.

These are but a few of the examples.

What have some of the colleges and universities done to address the issues?:

• Columbia University – has been forced to close its campus indefinitely after an anti-Israel mob broke into an academic building early Tuesday morning.
• Arizona State – police arrested 69 people and cleared the pro-Palestinian encampments.
• University of Texas, Austin – police arrested more than 100 along with administration suspending students involved in the protests.
• IU Bloomington – police arrested 33 pro-Palestinian protesters at Dunn Meadow, clearing encampments.
• Northeastern University – arrested protesters, clearing encampments.
• NYU – police arrested over 130 students, faculty; but students set up new encampment days after.
• Yale University – took some disciplinary action, including some expulsions but none arrested.
• Univ of SoCal – USC arrested and disciplined students, including some expulsions.
• Vanderbilt – Some students faced disciplinary actions with some expulsions.
• UCLA – Instituted additional “security measures” after the violence against the Jewish students.

Major protests have also broken out at George Washington University, Harvard University, Emory University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Northwestern University, University of Minnesota, Brown University, MIT,  University of Pittsburgh, Rice University and the University of Connecticut.  There are probably others I am missing.

Part of the dilemma for university officials is there are many protesters that are not students so universities do not have the leverage of threatening suspension or expulsion with these errant protesters. 

Remember Black Lives Matter and Antifa protests? George Soros and his Open Society helped fund Antifa.  There bears a striking resemblance in how Antifa executed their protests and how these protests now are unfolding.  As it was with those civil disorder experiments, the aim now is to sow social unrest.  It is interesting that a red Antifa flag with the three arrows (“Iron Front” logo) was been spotted at the ongoing extremist occupation at Columbia. Once again the contrived protests are orchestrated to divide our nation just as it was in 2020, an election year.  Witness the similar tactics between Antifa and pro-Palestinian protesters:

• Mask Wearing: Both groups have been noted to wear masks during protests. This is often done for anonymity and to avoid potential repercussions.
• Civil Disobedience: Both movements have engaged in civil disobedience as a form of protest. This involves deliberately breaking certain laws or regulations as a way to draw attention to their cause.
• Use of Symbolism: Pro-Palestinian protesters often use keffiyehs as a symbol of solidarity, while Antifa is known for their black clothing and masks. These symbols serve to create a unified image and convey their messages.
• Grassroots Organization: Both movements tend to organize at a grassroots level, relying on local chapters or cells to plan and execute demonstrations.
• Tactics: There have been instances where the tactics of direct action, such as swarming or blocking, have been used by both groups during their protests.
• Narrative of Oppression: Both groups frame their actions within a narrative of fighting against oppression and advocating for the rights of marginalized groups.

The Marxist elitists who are ultimately behind these protests would like nothing better than to see our nation erupt in a total civil war as we approach the voting box in May and again in November.  The deeply troubling issue is if left unchecked there are young people who are involved in these protests who could evolve to be terrorists in our nation.

We must be sowers of peace, not division.  In 2020, there was a prophet in our midst, Fr. Ted Rothrock.  In his bulletin message in June 2020 on the movements of BLM and Antifa, in the height of the plandemic, he wrote of the purveyors of socialism, hate and violence: