University campuses across America are aflame with protest. Green spaces have been taken over in recent weeks with students in protest of the Israel-Palestine war. Rows of tents forming encampments have consumed university life and media. Students have been adamantly protesting for their universities to stop investing in the Israeli government. Many American universities invest in companies involved in Israel’s war effort by supporting Israeli settlements in occupied territories and supplying military equipment. Once peaceful, American encampments have turned violent with the arrest of hundreds and takeover of university halls. While the recent encampments may raise awareness of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the spotlight has been shifted away towards the violence and chaos. In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his book Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, “We maintained the hope while transforming the hate of traditional revolutions into positive nonviolent power.” It’s vital for encampments to remain peaceful for the primary message to be spread—divesting of university investments.
The onset of university encampments saw a dramatic volume of news coverage. The increased coverage and attention on university administrators pressured them to enact change and divest the universities investments. In late April, pressured by students, Brown University and Rutgers University reached an agreement to consider divesting from Israel. Additionally, Northwestern University has agreed to disclose their investments in Israel. At the time, encampments were leading to positive change. However, attention has now been turned away with the rise in brutality. Headlines from CNN, which once were “Columbia student protesters are demanding divestment,” have now become, “Student journalists assaulted, others arrested as protests on college campuses turn violent.” The switch in media coverage moves the spotlight away and lowers pressure on university administrators to divest, leading to no change.
Encampments on college campuses are essential to make change. However, protest must not overstep into hate speech. Late 2023 saw the rise in antisemitism across campuses, resulting in the departure of several university presidents and putting the safety of student bodies at risk. It is essential for university administrators to adequately address campus hate speech to ensure the safety of students. The First Amendment protects Americans’ right to protest but does not protect hate speech. Furthermore, protestors need to remain peaceful for their voices to be heard. In late April, when protestors took over Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, the media turned focused on the violence and moved the attention away from the actual crisis. Protests and encampments have become echo chambers and are no longer the vocal hotspots they once were. Remaining peaceful will return attention to the actual matter. Supporting this notion, the BBC found that nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed than armed conflicts. This statistic is liberating. Peaceful protest is more impactful than violence.
In the coming years, students of Groton will likely be faced with issues in need of protest. We will disagree, fight, and argue over many issues. While the issues remain abstract, the means of navigating these issues is what stays concrete. Through deliberate and peaceful protest, our voices will be heard. As Dr. King said during his 1963 visit to Groton, “I’m convinced that we will be able to transform the jangling discords of America into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood” (4 Feb 1963). Amidst the dawn of strife, voices of students must be heard. In the symphony of peaceful protest, our voices will swell into a chorus of change, echoing through the halls of power.
