Columbia University admins warned international journalism students to avoid publishing work on Gaza, Ukraine, and protests after a pro-Palestinian activist's arrest, saying their freedom and academic future could be at risk. “Nobody can protect you.” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/n... - ThreadSky

trbrtc.bsky.social • 4 days ago

Columbia University admins warned international journalism students to avoid publishing work on Gaza, Ukraine, and protests after a pro-Palestinian activist's arrest, saying their freedom and academic future could be at risk. “Nobody can protect you.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/nyregion/columbia-university-trump-protests.html

Comments

marcosantana.bsky.social•4 days ago

Law suit, right there.

lexiitea.bsky.social•4 days ago

Wow a school with zero academic freedom yet huge endowment to help with legal chalkenges. ivy private trash

ksrnow.bsky.social•4 days ago

We are living in the Era of Trump the Evil. (Said with a very heavy heart).

jeanpauldelier.bsky.social•4 days ago

it WAS possible for those who can to vote so that Trump wouldn’t become president….

bagofbleeps.bsky.social•4 days ago

Where are the signatories to the Harper's Letter?

Is this cancel culture?

simulacron.bsky.social•4 days ago

Study in Europe! US has become a dictatorship. Free speech has died in January 2025. Europe has free speech and independent Universities. Leave the US for getting good education. And to stay free. The US has become a Drump dictatorship.

kims2024.bsky.social•3 days ago

Mr. Cobb "nobody can protect you" sounds like Mr. Schumer. Vote him out.

rini1983.bsky.social•4 days ago

A strong stance by an extremely expensive, extremely well-endowed institution. Suffice it to say, one that we shouldn't be sending our kids to.

perdamkier.bsky.social•4 days ago

ruralindependent.bsky.social•4 days ago

Is anyone surprised? This is exactly what he promised he’d do. That’s why the ‘uncommitted’ and ‘protest’ votes and nonstop slagging of Biden and Harris from the left never made any sense.

elementaleucology.com•4 days ago

Lol

cwadeevans.bsky.social•4 days ago

Land of the free, home of the brave.

themistocleswall.bsky.social•4 days ago

The obvious solution is for every single faculty member and student to start writing papers about Gaza, Ukraine, DEI, trans acceptance, etc.

The only way to stop Nazis is with unity

brainguy63.bsky.social•4 days ago

Well, it's not like Columbia is stepping up to protect anyone but themselves, which is a fucking grim civics lesson right there. 🤬

luciav8285.bsky.social•4 days ago

Fascism creates fear for compliance

always4bangtan.bsky.social•4 days ago

TF is going ON??..

elayne1948.bsky.social•4 days ago

Why can no one protect them? We still have a First Amendment. Don’t make it easy for the assholes to assault our Constitution.

cynholt.bsky.social•4 days ago

No, “someone”—or a bunch of someones—could protect you if they tried.

barefoottrader.bsky.social•4 days ago

Not "can". Nobody WILL protect you. It would only take a few GOP defectors in the Senate and this nightmare is over.

tiredrevenant.bsky.social•3 days ago

Hmm, it's all coming together, now. I can see it.

it's worth your time to read this.

👀 👀...AIPAC, Musk, ++... 👀 👀https://mailchi.mp/mesana/mesa-statement-on-academic-freedom-and-attacks-on-campuses-us-13445397?e=414be8cca8

tiredrevenant.bsky.social•4 days ago

These are dangerous times for those sacrificing their safety to speak truth to power. Far less dangerous for all the white men in charge who are fully on board with this colonial/capitalist power structure. But, whatevs. All you've done is ensure his message gets heard LOUD AND CLEAR BY MILLIONS. ✌️

tiredrevenant.bsky.social•4 days ago

Well, Columbia, that's not true. They COULD be protected, if they weren't surrounded by cowards. And, I get it because I work for a nonprofit. Funding is vital. But at the end of the day, if you keep trading your integrity for dollars, you'll have nothing left and no one walking through the doors.

laurieadkin.bsky.social•4 days ago

Exactly.

shaenon.bsky.social•4 days ago

Universities with $15 billion endowments are whimpering about how powerless they are while public schools that can't afford the crayon boxes with built-in sharpeners have administrators lining up to personally punch Donald Trump in the balls

shaenon.bsky.social•4 days ago

Colleges the most powerful people in the country send all their money to: "sometimes students write the wrong thing and get disappeared by some guys in a Cybertruck, what are we supposed to do about it?"

A part-time elementary school art teacher named Deb: "if ICE shows up I will eat their faces"

tiredrevenant.bsky.social•4 days ago

Fucking- A right!!!!!!

paranormalhunter.bsky.social•4 days ago

Yep. You can stand for something, or beg on your knees to Trump, who gives not a care.
Either way, you shutter, but you can choose in the end, to KEEP YOUR DIGNITY.

chaseacross.bsky.social•4 days ago

"These are dangerous times." WHO IS MAKING THEM DANGEROUS, MR. COBB?

squamishviews.bsky.social•4 days ago

NAZI Germany 1930’s!

kenjaminsol.bsky.social•4 days ago

Publish more. We don’t need more cowards.

sueryan66bskysocia.bsky.social•4 days ago

US has gone full Stalin.

maggyw.bsky.social•4 days ago

Fascism at work here.

dirusjay.bsky.social•4 days ago

Clearly not a very good school. Nice of them to tell everyone.

bmorelisa.bsky.social•4 days ago

Imagine paying $80,000 a year to be threatened.

andrewdavies.bsky.social•4 days ago

I am not sure that is the message I would have chosen if I was leading a major university. What does, "nobody can protect you" teach students?

athiegnome.bsky.social•4 days ago

It's a realistic assessment of the current moment in American politics. That's not such a bad thing.

jorunara.bsky.social•4 days ago

no the realistic assessment is that the Ivory Tower refuses to protect you. As well as the political class--also refusing to protect anyone. And wealthy Dem donors to both those crowds--also refusing to protect. Evidence of the class war is laid bare.

athiegnome.bsky.social•4 days ago

I agree that there are Democrats and political donors who should be doing more. Many universities are engaged in lawsuits and lobbying, and most have policies limiting cooperation with the federal government to the extent feasible. But no university is capable of controlling the government.

athiegnome.bsky.social•4 days ago

Likewise, no university security service could credibly protect faculty or students from a federal law enforcement action. Being clear-eyed is a key element in dealing with an authoritarian situation.

noahdahl.bsky.social•4 days ago

Don't think it helps to split hairs here. Columbia is saying they won't even try (which they certainly can).

That's a weak message.

andrewdavies.bsky.social•3 days ago

I'm all for being realistic. But there are other messages that could be equally true:

We are in this together

We will respect your rights, even if the government will not

We are inspired by your courage

athiegnome.bsky.social•3 days ago

A lot of university leaders are shading away from messaging that might sound like encouraging confrontation because they see thar messaging as likely to bring additional consequences down on their students. I don't know if that's right, but I find it understandable.

andrewdavies.bsky.social•3 days ago

I can believe that and see it as well meaning.

retiredpatriot.bsky.social•4 days ago

Cobb's not wrong.
We are living through a revolution IRL.

missd369.bsky.social•4 days ago

Oh, Columbia. Shame on you.

vaanhold.bsky.social•4 days ago

No not Columbia. Shame on that part of the US that made this possible or worse, supports the actions taken by the dictator claiming to be the president of the country.

feliscorvus.bsky.social•4 days ago

Well that’s fucking bleak.

timpark.bsky.social•4 days ago

This is exactly the wrong lesson.

climatedude.bsky.social•4 days ago

Another glaring example of the words "cannot help you" really meaning "don't want to help you". Under fascism, anyone not defending others against fascist attacks, even though they are in a position to do so, cannot be distinguished from ideological facists and we'll need to treat them accordingly.

pauloakira.bsky.social•4 days ago

Time to include shooting and guerrilla tactics in the syllabus of the journalism course.

kiliannelak.bsky.social•4 days ago

There are not many differences between a dictatorship and the US government.

kururun.bsky.social•4 days ago

Maybe they can't protect you but I feel confident asserting that an Ivy League has the resources, connections, and legal department to at least make an effort, and to raise hell in the media at the same time.

So much for free speech or academic freedom I guess

yardleyindivisible.bsky.social•4 days ago

wtf. They could do so much better.

stephwillerton.bsky.social•4 days ago

What happened to “Don’t Obey In Advance”? @timothysnyder.bsky.social

mushotoku.org•4 days ago

Such courage ! 🤦‍♂️

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