Maryam Alwan figured the worst was over after New York City police in riot gear arrested her and other protesters on the Columbia University campus, loaded them onto buses and held them in custody for hours.

But the next evening, the college junior received an email from the university. Alwan and other students were being suspended after their arrests at the “ Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” a tactic colleges across the country have deployed to calm growing campus protests against the Israel-Hamas war.

The students’ plight has become a central part of protests, with students and a growing number of faculty demanding their amnesty. At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the charges and withhold other consequences, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students into their adult lives.

    • @Son_of_dad
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      -525 days ago

      No. But you wear your arrest like a badge of honor, not ask for your record to be cleaned so you can go back to your capitalist 9-5, and protest on weekends

    • NoIWontPickAName
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      -1025 days ago

      I can give you plenty of reasons where it would be.

      To start with, you haven’t defined your terms.

      Is jailed actually jailed, or does book and release count?

      What is your definition of protest here?

      There are many things that have to be defined before you can try to pay you’re little word game there.

      • Cethin
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        825 days ago

        Wow, you’re a pedantic one.

        Is jailed actually jailed, or does book and release count?

        It you’re put in a jail, you’ve been jailed. Note: jail, not prison.

        What is your definition of protest here?

        What? I have never heard anyone need this defined for them. Look it up yourself.

        There are many things that have to be defined before you can try to pay you’re little word game there.

        You listed two thing, both well defined. I need you to define the word “defined,” “before,” and “word game” please. I can’t understand your comment.

        • NoIWontPickAName
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          -525 days ago

          My point is that what one person considers a peaceful protest, another can not.

          If it’s a 99% peaceful protest does it still count.

          For the record I understand your point to a point, but yes some people do deserve to be jailed for protesting genocide.

          Just like the people who think anortion is basically baby genocide and fire bomb abortion clinics deserve to go to jail

          • Cethin
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            525 days ago

            Yeah, you didn’t say “peaceful” but also I’ve seen no evidence of violence from students in these protests. That said, I haven’t really kept up with it. Maybe there’s an instance of violence, but you can use collective punishment to hold them all accountable for that. If you do then no protest is allowed. I haven’t seen anyone defend anyone using violence. You’re bringing that up as a strawman.

              • Cethin
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                25 days ago

                It isn’t, but I’ll take the bait anyway. Where were these students not peaceful? I haven’t seen it yet.

                Just FYI, MLK Jr, the person most known for “peaceful protest” today in the US, was said to have been starting riots by much of the mainstream media. It’s easy to say people are rioting to make people disagree with them, especially if you use violence against them and accuse them of being violent now.

                • NoIWontPickAName
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                  -324 days ago

                  I never said there were.

                  You said is if it just to be jailed for protesting genocide.

                  Yes there are

            • NoIWontPickAName
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              -425 days ago

              You asked if it is just to be jailed for protesting genocide.

              I said yes, you didn’t ask is it right for these students to be jailed.

              People like to use questions that are extremely vague in conjunction with subjects that are related, but not as strongly as the questioned asked.

              That is bullshit wordgamery and I will call it out

              • @EndlessApollo
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                25 days ago

                Such transparent dogshit on display here xD you insist that they define basic words like “jailed” and “peaceful” and “protest” , and accuse them of “wordgamery” bc you can’t understand the basic English words they’re saying. Just letting you know nobody is falling for this, you’re just making yourself look stupid by acting like others’ words are utterly incomprehensible when it’s obviously not :3

              • Cethin
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                425 days ago

                You asked if it is just to be jailed for protesting genocide.

                I said yes, you didn’t ask is it right for these students to be jailed.

                How is it ever just to be jailed for protesting genocide. Maybe it is while sometimes, if you do something illegal in conjunction with it. The act itself isn’t illegal though, so getting arrested for it is unjust.

                • NoIWontPickAName
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                  -224 days ago

                  Like I said, what I consider a protest, others might not.

                  So yeah, it depends on your definitions

        • NoIWontPickAName
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          -525 days ago

          “At what point does a legal protest become an illegal one?” would I guess be a better way to say it