Congress body grills top university presidents for handling of Free Palestine camps on campuses

HOUSTON, US (AA) – The leaders of some top US universities were grilled by Congress on Thursday for their handling of Free Palestine camps on campuses.

The presidents of the University of California, University of Los Angeles (UCLA), Rutgers University in New Jersey, and Northwestern University in Illinois were scrutinized by the House Education and Workforce Committee about their handling of Free Palestine rallies and camps at their respective schools.

Rutgers and Northwestern were criticized for their decisions to end student occupations through negotiations rather than the use of police force.

“We had to get the encampment down,” Northwestern president Michael Schill testified. “The police solution was not going to be available to us to keep people safe, and also may not be the wisest solution as we’ve seen at other campuses across the country.”

Both Rutgers and Northwestern said they considered police action, but decided it was best to negotiate peacefully and in a way that defused the danger without caving in to the demands of the protesters.

“We made a choice. That choice was to engage our students through dialogue as a first option instead of police action,” said Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway. “We had seen what transpired at other universities and sought a different way.”

UCLA was criticized for its delayed police response. US Rep. Virginia Foxx, who chairs the committee, gave a stern admonishment to UCLA Chancellor Gene Block for the school’s inaction.

“For days, you stood by as Jews were assaulted and illegal checkpoints blocked access to campus in broad daylight,” said Foxx. “Your actions were too little, too late.”

“Each of you should be ashamed of your decisions that allowed antisemitic encampments to endanger Jewish students,” said Foxx. “Mr. Schill and Dr. Holloway, you should be doubly ashamed for capitulating to the antisemitic rule breakers.”

Four students have been suspended at Rutgers, but so far, no students have been expelled from any of the three schools. However, the university presidents testified that there are dozens of ongoing investigations.

More than 3,000 people have been arrested across the US since the Free Palestine movement began on college campuses in April in response to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in which it has killed at least 35,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children.