Australia and the World Past and Present

Pro-Palestine activists recently barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, New York City.

Hamilton Hall has a long history of this kind of activism.

On April 23, 1968 activists barricaded themselves inside the building while protesting the Vietnam War, segregation and racism.

In April 1972, students locked themselves in, reflecting an ongoing anti-war sentiment.

In April 1985, students blockaded the building in an attempt to encourage the university to divest from investments in the South African Apartheid regime.

It is interesting that these events all fall within the month of April.

Why do these activist students feel that they have the right to take over buildings that do not belong to them and to disrupt the lives of other students and university staff?

Why aren’t they content to demonstrate peacefully without resorting to such behaviour?

Following sustained demonstrations and tensions at Columbia University, the main graduation ceremony on May 15 has been cancelled.

Some of the students affected also missed their high school graduation ceremonies due to Covid-19.

Causing graduation ceremonies to be cancelled doesn’t help anyone.

These activists go too far. The blockading of university buildings is unnecessary.