Officials at Columbia University, facing surging tensions on campus that raised safety concerns, have announced all classes will be virtual on Monday as Passover begins.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a statement the decision was made to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.”
The move underscores how tense the situation has become at the Ivy League school and the enormous challenge facing Shafik to get the situation under control.
That’s exactly what happened with the confederate monuments being taken down in the late 2010’s. Neo Nazis - yes literal ones, with swastikas and SS lightening bolts on their bodies and clothes - showed up in droves. I have my own footage of it, this isn’t some random CNN photo somewhere or something. They were a serious problem in my city for a few weeks.
I don’t think people should generally defend the monuments but there is at least a discussion to be had about them on a case by case basis in rare instances. So the real monsters use that as cover to provide a sensible-seeming veneer to their awful hatred.