Columbia Professor Corrects Distorted Media Coverage of Campus Protests / Helen Benedict

Let's talk about what happened before the occupation of Hamilton Hall and the second round of arrests and the second invasion by the police. Up until then, ever since October 7th, there have been protesters gathering every day outside Columbia's gates on Broadway, some of whom were are real wacko extremists screaming. Inside the campus, the students were obeying the rules of keeping themselves to these patches of grass where they were allowed to demonstrate…and put up their tents and sat there quietly, having study groups, making signs. They had a Seder there over Passover because a lot of the protesting students are Jewish. Inviting professors to come in to hold teach ins and to teach them to make up for the classes they were missing. You could hear the birds singing, they were so quiet. I was there day after day. I went into the camp. It was so peaceful. A lot of the press completely mixed up the outsiders with the insiders.