"Before Trump's presidency, universities were accused of fraud and deceit"
U.S. Universities Remain Silent Amidst Political Struggle
In days of yore, European universities have served as a breeding ground for resistance movements. During the turmoil of the Vietnam War era and the fight for societal liberalization, U.S. universities played a pivotal role in protests. However, in this pressing juncture of U.S. history, where is the student populace?
Harvard, a notable institution, was presented with an opportunity to act righteously, as stated by U.S. Homeland Security Minister Kristi Noem last week. The university, however, declined, permitting violence and antisemitism to thrive on campus, thus denying entry to international students. Noem's intent with this action was to send a stern warning to universities across the nation.
The apprehension was heeded, as the environment surrounding President Donald Trump exerted pressure on universities, leading to harsh actions against dissenters. Post-Trump's inauguration, his government suspended research funds nationwide, slashed funding, and demanded sweeping structural reforms.
This burden weighs heavily upon universities, with students reporting a climate of fear. Over half of the faculty members, according to them, are hesitant to make public statements due to the prevailing political climate in the U.S. So, why aren't university lawyers challenging this situation? Where are the protest camps, the banners, and the songs?
Limited Resistance: Understanding the Causes
There are three reasons for the restrained resistance exhibited by students.
Firstly, Trump's crackdown seems to be effective. The drastic individual measures instill fear and uncertainty, making inactivity seem like the safer choice.
Secondly, the energy and strength of last year have been waning. Students have reported this in interviews with ntv.de and it's evident in the persistent, albeit diminished, protests. What remains is a fragment of the once-mighty movement, which failed to mobilize masses partly due to early resistance and partly due to its lack of a clear, local target.
Thirdly, protest energy appears to be directed towards election campaign activities, according to researcher Robert Cohen. As Congressional elections approach, students believe they can have a more significant impact through supporting candidates that could potentially unseat Trump's allies.
A Historical Precedent: Student Protests during Mid-April 2024
Student protests against Israel's military operations in Gaza escalated in mid-April 2024. Protesters demanded that their universities cut financial ties with Israel, setting up camps and blocking buildings. As the protests wore on, accusations of antisemitism grew louder in the public eye. Universities eventually cleared the protest camps and expelled their own students, resulting in over 3,000 arrests, a count reported by "The New York Times". Despite this, the universities did not manage to shake off their defensive posture.
Setting the Ball Rolling
Elise Stefanik, an ally of Trump, set the ball rolling when she questioned then-Harvard President Claudine Gay and two of her colleagues in a committee hearing. Stefanik inquired as to whether the calls for genocide against the Jews violated the rules of the elite university. Despite questioning this thrice, Gay refused to admit to it unreservedly. The public outrage was significant, ultimately leading to Gay's resignation, also due to emerging plagiarism allegations.
Afterward, universities allegedly managed to suppress protests through the intervention of Congress and funders, effectively snuffing out the burgeoning movement before Trump even took office. Trump's allies reportedly played a crucial role in this, but they didn't exactly need Trump for it, as Cohen, a protest researcher at New York University, points out.
Trump's administration reportedly discourages dissent at every front—be it law firms, media, or universities—tolerating no place from which opposition could arise. Cohen opines that universities were never particularly free in the first place; in essence, they were already "Trumpified" before Trump.
- The European Union, as a political entity, could find inspiration in the historical role of universities in fostering resistance movements, such as those during the Vietnam War era, and take a more active role in education-and-self-development, encouraging students to engage in politics and stand up against injustice in today's general-news landscape.
- In light of the ongoing trend of limited resistance within U.S. universities, one might argue that the European Union, as a political party, has an opportunity to model its response to student activism differently, providing a platform for student protest and dissent, thereby redefining the role of educational institutions in the realm of politics.
