This article describes the little-reported on success that Brown University had in disbanding student protest… by conceding to let activists present a case for divestment at an upcoming hearing before the university’s investment board.
There’s a lot of interesting considerations. The university did not agree to drop charges against forty students for rule violations, but the charged students themselves voted to accept the agreement under the belief that the overall offer was worth their own sacrifices.
Overall, I personally think this shows the irresponsibly unreported fact that negotiation with a protest IS an option that can serve the interests of both sides far better than state violence.
You know, you’re welcome to disagree on tactics, but I must ask you to show a bit of respect.
These protestors put themselves in danger. They made sacrifices for a cause you care about. Time may prove their tactics to have been in error, but they are not “braindead” “idiots” who accomplished “absolutely nothing”.
They know their situation better than you. They put their bodies and futures on the table, and they alone get to decide what trades they want to make. You are welcome to your opinion on what tactics others should use, and you are welcome to make your choice about what to do when it’s your ass on the front lines. But I don’t think you have any business talking big shit about people who are out there carrying the heavy loads.
I… I would love to see this as a compromise and start of mutual understanding, but the 6 month delay before the matter is even put through vote -if the case is even deemed “valid”- is nothing but lip service all the while the students protesting a pretty fucking obvious genocide are tagged and their most basic demanding action for consideration is criminalized, whatever the disciplinary action be.
To be in the very least open to compromise, the university would pardon the unapproved encampment considering it an urgent act in the face of mass human life loss. The consideration to even prosecute someone for demanding a reasonable hearing, which you accept, is blatant ill-will.
Besides, in these 6 months Israel would already be profiting a hell lot over new occupied land, sunning and tanning over dead bodies of thousands of children. This shit is even worse than the U.S. military setting up a damn prefabricated floating dock in 2 months.
Just a stick with carrot aroma, instead of the regular stick.
Even saying all that, hoping all the experience proves wrong this time and this sets off meaningful actions sooner or later.
No, they don’t deserve any respect for this. They are cowards, just like all the people that lost morale and broke when we were kettled at the BLM protest I attended in 2020. Nothing meaningful will come of this. They should have held out until meaningful action had already been achieved instead of agreeing to some dog and pony show in October with no amnesty for the protesters.
i think they deserve more respect than some armchair general on a lemmy instance