On Jan. 21, the first day of the semester, pro-Palestinian activists vandalized the A.D White statue. The statue was spray-painted with “divest from death” and “occupation=death,” references to Cornell’s refusal to divest from weapon manufacturers and end its close collaboration with Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. Even if Cornell identifies and punishes the activists, recent history shows that these actions will do little to suppress the growing dissent against the university’s actions.
It has been 16 months since protests have mired Cornell’s campus. Cornell has already employed heavy-handed tactics to suppress dissent. For instance, on Sept. 18, 2024, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a career fair hosting weapons manufacturers. In response, the university launched a month-long investigation to identify participants. Over 20 students were suspended, myself included. I received a three-year campus ban and faced two misdemeanor charges. A similar suppression was seen in the suspension of Momodou Taal, who risked deportation. Cornell’s actions mirror Donald Trump’s fascistic rhetoric, who pledged to “deport pro-Hamas protesters.” However, the University’s attempt to expedite Taal’s removal backfired. A relentless pressure campaign, supported by figures like Bernie Sanders, exposed the administration’s authoritarian tactics. Facing widespread condemnation, Cornell relented, granting Taal the due process owed to him under university policy.
Few universities have resorted to such extreme measures during the Pro-Palestinian movement. Furthermore, these tactics are unprecedented for any Cornell Administration. Even the Willard Straight Hall takeover, in which students armed themselves with rifles following an anti-black cross-burning, did not provoke such punitive action. Cornell’s decision to quell dissent through fear and punishment was a deliberate strategy to silence the pro-Palestinian movement on campus. Yet, today’s continued activism proves that this approach has failed.
Not only are these tactics ineffective, but they are wasteful. In pursuit of career fair disrupters, the Cornell University Police Department spent a month identifying protesters, gathering evidence for arrest warrants and filing court documents. Furthermore, the resulting 20 suspensions overwhelmed the small team in the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, resulting in them being unable to timely handle other cases. The excessive and lengthy investigation both detracted from the code of conduct’s ability to handle more serious cases and wasted Cornell’s monetary resources. Ultimately, these efforts were inconsequential: The majority of suspensions have been lifted and my charges have been dismissed. With the recent increase in violence on campus, how much longer can our limited resources be diverted to appease donors while our students are unsafe?
Two semesters ago, 70 percent of student voters chose “yes” for Cornell to divest from ten weapon manufacturers supporting the war in Gaza, which has been deemed as a “plausible genocide.” Yet, former President Pollack refused to even call for a divestment vote. When the administration stifles the democratic process and reveals the system doesn’t work, students are forced to pursue methods that fall outside of Cornell’s rigid rules. Furthermore, when an institution resorts to oppressive tactics to punish peaceful anti-genocide protesters, should students even consider the arbitrary confines of “academic freedom.” As revealed by the vandalization of the A.D White statue, even in the face of suspension or deportation, dissidents against Cornell’s complicity will continue to organize and protest. If Cornell truly wants to restore peace on campus, it must listen to its students and divest from death.
Yihun Stith is a junior at Cornell University. He is a co-chair of The Progressives at Cornell and a press representative for the Coalition of Mutual Liberation. Yihun can be reached at ycs6@cornell.edu
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