'Schools have had enough': Universities respond to student protests 

Anti-Israel does not equal Anti-Semitic. Remember after 911 everyone that looked like a Muslim was harassed which included people from India who are Hindus.

“Protests have a time and a place”, says an establishment ghoul who has never protested any injustice in his life. Thanks Joe.

I remember the anti-war protest of Vietnam. Why is it wrong for these kids to protest? I think it's a good thing to shed light on what's going on in the world.

We didn’t fund that other stuff and we did protest the Iraq war

In America we praise the Boston Tea Party. Anyone else see the irony here.

NO ONE IS BELIEVING ANYTHING YOU SAY ANYMORE

Joe: "Protests have a time and place." Now is the time, and Columbia is the place. Protests are never convenient for the targets. That's the point. As for Jewish students being harassed, you never reported any specifics, just mentioning in passing that it was happening. Which students? What happened? Who did what to whom? Does MSNBC still report the news anymore?

''When demonstrators in Hong Kong threw stones in Hong Kong that's considered to be heroism in the American press. When in Myanmar, the demonstrators throw slingshot stones at the military, they're considered to be heroes in the Western Press. When Palestinian kids throw stones at the oppressive Israeli army, they're called terrorists.'' Dr. Gabor Mate, a Holocaust survivor Shalom

Joe, you are wrong on this. I was part of the student protests at the University of NH during the Vietnam War. These same protests that occurred all across America served to eventually end the war in Vietnam. I am really surprised by your reaction to the protests. It is a bit hypercritical in that advocate each day on your news show and provide your opinion.

This is such an embarrassingly bad take, Joe and co. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

In bringing up Vietnam, it made me remember a line from a protest song of that time “It’s always the old who lead us to the war / It’s always the young that fall” It’s sounding to me the adults are willing to sacrifice the potential of the young to maintain their position rather than be open to change or even just to listen.

And the people sitting in at lunch counters were high school students. Real change almost always comes from the ground up, i.e. the younger generation.

I wish I could escape this planet. There’s literally nowhere safe

Protests in the 60s and 70s actually helped to affect change in the USA and the world. The talking heads are selective in their statements. And at times they are condescending.

What an incredibly childish outburst from Joe and Co. Talk about loss of balance in the media!

“You can have free speech, just as long as it’s not too free and not about things we disagree with. Here’s your little protest recess area, children, this box here is where you are free.”

It’s crazy the disparity in support for Ukraine and this other conflict. I’m an American volunteer in Ukraine and all I heard when I was trying to get support was, “why don’t you volunteer in Africa, or why don’t you volunteer in Myanmar.” There are zero Ukraine clubs on campus but there was both Israel and Palestine club the day after the hamas attack.

Werent he civil rights activists in the 60s beaten by racist cops for blocking traffic?

''If you are not careful the newspapers will have hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.'' el-Hagg Malik-el Shabazz aka Malcolm X

Protest is as American as apple pie. This country was conceived and born out of protest. Agitate, agitate, agitate. Keep it up.

"we've given you a place to protest" = "we've given you a place where your protest wont motivate any change whatsoever."

‘The ultimate tragedy it is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, it’s the silence over that by the good people’

Whatever your position on this issue is, or what "appropriate behavior" might be, I find it weird to hear the argument that protesting crosses the line when it disrupts. Isn't disruption the whole point of protesting? Interfering with "business as usual" is the point, especially when the protesters do not have political lobbying power. Imagine if the civil rights movements had settled for only protesting in venues that don't disrupt the status quo.

The US for all the rather cheap and tawdry rhetoric about how free it is has always had very fragile, insecure public discourse. The red scare and mccarthhyism was merely a particularly notable outbreak of a chronic condition, it certainly wasn't unique. The tendency to demonise and misrepresent sections of opinion that exist outside of the mainstream in a given era has consistently been upheld with real force and coercion. And that continues to this day. The alternative, of course, would be to actually discuss the topics, something that virtually never happens in American media. Discussion is limited to the horse race of political conflict, or to discussing sides in an argument, but almost never the actual topics. With those you might get a monologue from a host, but you will never get anything resembling discussion. Interviews will be short, curated, and punctuated by leading questions and framing devices. US political speech is highly performative, it expresses normative views in positive language, and castigates in the extreme those viewed as opposition, while consistently defending those viewed as aligned. The actual substance or facts are again conspicuously absent save where it serves the purpose, in respect of the polarisation of allegiance. And these are of course, in the end, some of the reasons the US is also particularly mired in distrust and reflexive cynicism, albeit managed distrust, managed cynicism. Because anger and disenchantment don't lead to evaluation or education, they mostly just lead to blind acceptance of some third-party narrative about how bad things are. And so nothing actually improves, the misery is entirely circular. But that doesn't mean that views don't change. Views on Israel and US policy, and historical policy on Israel have changed, and no amount of frankly repressive behaviour by universities is going to cause young people to meekly revert to the preferred views of their elders, because that simply isn't ever what happens. And I'm not talking of course about some specific protest but rather the larger scale empirical evidence. Things have shifted, they won't shift back.

Fight issues not the people. Love to our Jewish and Arab neighbors world wide🕯️

What is antisemitism? Is it calling for human rights? I don't get it.

“Giving you a place and time to have free speech” is not Free Speech at all

What BS.

If you cannot disambiguate "religion" from "politics," you are part of ancient history. One may desecrate the Israeli flag without being anti semitic. Your position insists all Jews must identify with and support the anti human, ethnic cleansing the Israeli government is engaged in.

It's really uncomfortable that genocide can just happen and everyone expects life to go on

So I guess Joe would step back in time to stop the marchers on the bridge in Selma. Too disruptive

No word about USC canceling the Muslim valedictorian's speech. Hmmm...

....and you're on the wrong side of history (again).

So college students are children now? Are we not in college to get an education and have our own opinions? Since when is NBC like this? Please

Killing people in Gaza? No problem Protests in the USA? Not allowed

Oh,the protests are inconvenient? 😂😂 Joe, sorry. I believe you are on the wrong side of this. Pro Palestine does not equate to anti semitism . I am profoundly anti Maga and GOP, does not make me anti American. Also Joe, your talking about ones rights not impeding another’s, however, the 2nd amendment indeed does that every few minutes in this country.

All you have to do is protest and you are antisemitic? The chemical attack upon protesters by foreign exchange Israeli students was not punished as harshly as trespassing.

3:19 The reason you didn’t see these same protests regarding the war in Syria is because OUR GOVERNMENT WASN’T GIVING ASAD OUR UNEQUIVOCAL SUPPORT FOR HIS MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS. My god, this was the first dumb thing in a long, dumb segment.

Gaza isn't just important to Palestinian people in America. Its important because some Americans don't like to see our country support genecide.

It's very reminiscing of the Vietnam era. Still such harsh response to peace protesters over 50 years later. 😔

The normal functioning of our country, or the Status Quo in other words, is unacceptable.

Referencing the 1968 demonstration at Columbia did not strengthen Joe’s argument.

65k views and less than 2k likes that's pathetic Numbers and should show how bad the state run propaganda is not trusted

So, what's your solution Joe. They should all shut up and go away until there is an issue you approve of?

The difference between what's happening now, With the Israeli attacks in Gaza and the genocidal massacres in Syria and Iraq is US participation. Israel receives munitions and other military aid from the united states. So the United States is a party to the genocidal massacre now occurring in Gaza.

How did we get to a point where speaking out against the killing of children and civilians has become anti-Semitism? Dubbing any criticism of Israel as "anti-Semitism" is absurd and only enables them to continue these atrocities. Would you ever say that criticizing Northern Ireland was "Anti-Catholic"?

This rationale that there weren't protests for xyz, so why is there a protest for Palestinians, seriously stupid!

Glad to see student activism is alive and well in the US -- unfortunately, they -- like everyone else who has to deal with any religious conflict -- can only make futile gestures because, with religion at the heart of the problem between Israel and the Palestinians, there can be no solution. Religion has to be taken out of the equation first before progress can be made, and that isn't going to happen any time soon.

Whatboutism is never a good defense

Ask yourself why its okay to protest in support of Israel but not Palestine. Now look at the presidents of the universities, the highest-funded advocacy groups in America, the politicians, the lawyers, the judges, and the media. Now think on that for a bit.

Protest isnt always pretty. In the 80s we students helped end apartheid by sitting in university offices and demanding divestment from south africa

“Protests have a time and place” opines the millionaire talking head. The point of a protest is far greater than to merely express an opinion. It is to change reality and that involves disrupting the normal flow of business. Leave it to corporate media to champion freedom of speech so long as it makes nothing happen.

"Stopping the normal functioning" is a part of how most protests work. These people want convenient protests that have no impact.

Anti Israeli gov is not anti semitism. A an israeli- born American I'm not impressed with this status quo nonsense.

It is a weak and disingenuous argument to suggest that because people did not ban together and protest other atrocities it is too late or less meaningful to protest now. There is a difference in awareness now. People aren’t being fed the government rhetoric, they are able to learn first hand what is happening and use their voice to protest. It should be applauded not disparaged

"All those 20 somethings are awfully loud, where were they 10 years ago HUH!??"

The kids are alright 👍🏻

You can be against the Israel as a country and be for Jewish people at the same time.

Having watched countless hours of this show I have come to the conclusion that Joe's default setting is 'bluster', unmoored from logic, ideal, or journalism. The whole point of a protest is to disrupt the system. Would he criticize a civil rights protest in the 60's for blocking a road (or a bridge)? I certainly hope not. And what difference does it make if someone is protesting an atrocity now and they didn't protest a previous atrocity? Most of the protestors on college campuses today were in High School or younger during the Syrian Civil War. Like Maya said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”

Protests that are easy to ignore are easily ignored.

Headline: Students across America are awake. Students consider a national strike against the government’s policy of Genocide in Gaza.

I don't agree with the moral equivalence of "I didn't see the protests during the Syrian crisis" is a bit shallow by you Joe. Millions of people share their views only that you are stymied by your bosses to discuss this subject so try and refrain from talking about this topic at all if you don't have free reign to bring in experts to shade light on the subject. You only speak for Isreal from what I have seen and fair enough (that's the side your bread is buttered).

These people on TV sound like all those old fashioned folk who hated anybody protesting the Vietnam war. "Free speech zone in America". What? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Powers to protesters opposing genocide

Why aren't they protesting that Hamas murdered people at a music festival and Hamas still has hostages?

Very proud of these students for standing up for their morals and fighting oppression of a whole people.

Universities are supposed to be for speech and debate. Being against a country is not the same thing as being against a religion. Religion is a blight on humanity.

I equate "pro-Palestinian" with "anti-genocide", but mainstream news refuses to use the word "genocide" in its continuing apathetic bias toward genocidal Netanyahu/Israel.

Breaking up homeless encampments? Breaking up student protest encampments? Whats going on in America?

At least the students have conscious. You all forgot the Palestinians in Gaza

Coming from a guy who answers yes sir, whatever you say sir to his corporate masters is wortless reporting

Its like if you arent protesting you are not a real college student. People just protest now because they think it makes them special. They dont know what they are protesting about. They are 18 yrs old and latching onto the first idea that makes them feel important. They are intimating people, which is not protected speech.

Seriously, Joe? Where were these protesters when Saddam Hussein...? They were not born yet. That was your generation. Where were you? And Syria? Many of our newest Americans are refugees from Iraq and Syria. Get out and meet these protesters to know who, from where, and why they are where they are today.

Are you saying all those city council cease-fire resolutions didn’t work?

Everyone should be writing their representatives. Legislation needs to be worked on RIGHT NOW , to cut all public funding to these institutions.

What is going with my country. All these people has to go to jail and deported from country.

Do you realize that harassment goes both ways right? We should not discriminate against Jewish people, but we should not discriminate against Palestinian people either. It just seems like Jewish people get more of the news about being discriminated against than the Palestinians do and that is wrong! Also, we have a right to free speech and the reason it has gotten so evasive is people don't feel heard plain and simple!! Maybe if people listened, they would not have to go to these extremes!

horrible take from Joe, who i agree with often. disruption is the phase of a protest when speaking isn't being heard, and sitting on a campus quad still seems pretty peaceful as far as disruption goes. US university students have every right to protest, especially because the US is funding and arming the very thing they are protesting. saying he didn't see these kinds of protests against Saddam just shows Joe is so out of touch from reality on this issue.

Be curious what the overlap might be with students claiming free speech infringements here and those students who might support infringement and caveats to free speech when it comes to things they dont support.

the thing is these are just rich kids. And they are the worst. The poorer kids are busy trying to get an education.

Protest when I want and how I want. Disruption of the previous generation’s continued burning down of the house is not allowed. Say I am wrong, but stand in my way. Is that about right?

Perhaps, university management needs a class on the Bill of Rights.

It's been decades since I have been on a college campus but in my experience virtually ANYONE can come on campus and disrupt its grounds. Is this still true? Who knows if the people are even really STUDENTS!

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.

Not allowed to criticize certain folks

''Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.'' Voltaire

The hosts think uni students are highschoolers 😂

Absolutely. Instead of protesting, just get a show on MSNBC and scream and whine for four hours each day complaining. Be like Joe. I'm sure that'll move the needle.

Joe is very out of touch here. Disappointing to see such a lack of honor and courage on his part.

Anti genocide is not antisemitism

Wow. The first time in a long time I’ve heard NBC present information that’s factual and not twisted into an editorial. Yay! Keep up the truth in news!

If you are not ok, then move or quit go to other schools or even better go to Palestinian or Iran University. Do not disrespect or disrupt others people normal live here!!!! This is not Palestine or Iran.

Although I understand the Israeli anger and resolve for Hamas, I am absolutely disgusted by the mass murder instigated by the far right in the country. The protesters for the Palestinians have good cause to be upset but I'm starting to wonder, where they were for Yemeni conflict, the tragedy still going on in Sudan. Lastly, the Arab and other States haven't wanted the Palestinians in their own countries for more than half a century. There is plenty of shame to spread around but pathetically very little appetite for action.

Comparing Gaza to the Syrian Civil War is not accurate. The US did not supply the weapons that killed hundreds of thousands in Syria. It actively pushed against it. With Gaza, the US is actively giving the weapons used to commit ear crimes. That is a HUGE difference.

Who are all these students being harassed? Why are you not interviewing them and let them get their story out? Or is this another dog whistle given to you guys by a certain lobbying group to force compliance and complicity with atrocities?

Protests need to be done in a time and place that doesn’t disrupt anyone else’s lives so people can completely ignore it. Said every established institution ever. Columbia is invested in Lockheed Martin. Of course they want to see people get blown up.

She really said "risking our academics... to show administrations we are not ok with this" like the schools are the cause of the war 😂

You know why no one is protesting Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan? We all agree that it’s wrong and the US Government was/is against Bashar Al Assad, killing of Christians by ISIS and Boko Haram, the mass ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in Myanmar. In Yemen the same protestors were against funding/arming of Saudi Arabia. So these protestors are consistent. The issue here is that the US supports settlements, is against a two state solution (vetos in the UN), against a one state solution, supports oppression and k-ling of Palestinians.

I wonder which "professor" told them it would be a good idea.

While I think these particular protestors are on the wrong side of history and completely oblivious to the actual situation, I am concerned about what seemed to be a normal, peaceful protest being jackbooted away like this.