Democratic Reps. Cori Bush And Rashida Tlaib Speak Alongside Student Protesters
Congresswomen Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) joined George Washington University student protestors for a press conference on Wednesday, less than a day after cleared pro-Palestine demonstrators’ encampment from the school grounds.
During the press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, Bush and Tlaib condemned the dismissive response that members of Congress have had towards the national mobilization of pro-Palestine student protestors over the past several weeks.
“It is incredibly disturbing that my colleagues are so quick to denounce the student protestors, but are silent about … why they are protesting,” Tlaib said.
Over the past several weeks, students at universities across the country have held demonstrations and set up encampments on their school grounds to protest Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 35,000 people so far.
While student demands vary by campuses across the U.S., most are demanding that their colleges denounce the Israeli offensive as a genocide against Palestinians, increase transparency around financial and academic ties to Israel and divest from companies linked to Israel.
“We will not stop in defending these students until [there is an] end in regards to the genocide, … [and] until there is an immediate and permanent ceasefire that includes complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza,” Tlaib said. “We’re proud to use our positions in office to bring these voices, so you all don’t forget why they’re encampments, why there are movements and dissent around this country.”
Some protestors have successfully been able to reach agreements with their colleges, such as at Northwestern University, Brown University and University of Minnesota.But many others have faced resistance from university leaders who have called for the encampments to be disbanded, leading to police escalation and violent unrest.
Police arrested 33 students at the GWU protest early Wednesday morning and used pepper spray against protesters who were trying to break police lines and enter, the Associated Press reported. More than 2,100 people have been arrested during pro-Palestine protests on college campuses nationwide, according to an Associated Press tally last week.
“Those who refuse to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza think they can arrest and brutalize their way out of this situation,” Bush said on Wednesday.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have slammed the demonstrators as antisemitic, and have launched an investigation into the protests, the Washington Post reported.
President Joe Biden has also called out antisemitism on college campuses. Last week, Biden said that dissent is an essential component to democracy, but that “dissent must never lead to disorder.”
“Protest isn’t meant to be comfortable. It is meant to be disruptive. And if you don’t want folks to protest, then prioritize humanity over profit, humanity over your donors, humanity over your property,” Bush said at the press conference.
The women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement of the 1960s and other similar fights for civil liberties used protests in order to achieve meaningful change.
“This is how justice is won,” she said.
