Princeton Free Speech News & Commentary

Julie Bonette
Princeton Alumni Weekly

Excerpt: While Princeton’s pro-Palestinian protests have largely been student-led, some faculty members have played a key part in the movement. From releasing petitions and statements to requesting a special May 20 meeting of the faculty, the role of these professors has grown in recent weeks along with the urgency of the protests.

Jonathan Mummolo
Daily Princetonian

Excerpt: On Monday, Princeton faculty will take up a proposal to provide blanket amnesty to individuals facing disciplinary proceedings in connection with recent campus protests.

Much has been said about the nature of these protests, the University’s response, and the political conflicts that have inspired students and faculty to make their voices heard these past weeks. I have heard compelling arguments on these matters from all sides.

Bill Hewitt
Daily Princetonian

Excerpt: The May 3 faculty letter calling for VP Calhoun’s resignation argues that in her April 30 email to Princeton undergraduates about the April 29 takeover of Clio Hall, Vice President Calhoun gave not only an incorrect, mistaken, or misinformed description of the events, but also one that was purposely deceptive. Not satisfied to demand her preemptory firing, the faculty letter concluded with the hyperbolic claim that Calhoun’s leadership is “the real threat to the Princeton University community.”

Graeme Wood
The Atlantic

Excerpt: The protesters on university campuses have an image problem: They look like they are having way too much fun. In tone, the demonstrations do not match the subject matter, which they allege is genocide, the least fun of all human activities. For 20-year-olds, some activities that would be miserable to a normal person—screaming hysterically, being arrested, living in ragged encampments—are in fact an exhilarating way to spend one’s time, and certainly preferable to studying for exams.

Fun does not discredit a cause, but a protester who enjoys himself has a harder time demonstrating his commitment than one willing to suffer. This weekend I spoke with one of the latter. David Chmielewski, a Princeton English major from Torrington, Connecticut, along with 11 other Princeton community members, spent 10 days on a hunger strike to call for the university to divest from Israel.

Elisabeth H. Daugherty, Brett Tomlinson, Julie Bonette, and Carlett Spike
Princeton Alumni Weekly

The pro-Palestinian encampment was gone from Cannon Green by Thursday morning. Protesters had slowly begun clearing it on Tuesday, May 14, after signs appeared around the area reading, “This space is CLOSED in preparation for University events,” and workers began installing lighting for Class Day.

Elisabeth H. Daugherty, Brett Tomlinson, Julie Bonette, Carlett Spike
Princeton Alumni Weekly

Excerpt: The pro-Palestinian protesters at Princeton slowly began cleaning up their encampment on Cannon Green Tuesday morning. Signs had been put up around the area reading, “This space is CLOSED in preparation for University events,” and workers began installing lighting for Class Day.

A video posted on Instagram by the protesters seemed to show a Public Safety official telling them Tuesday morning to leave. Urvi, a spokesperson for the protesters who is a first-year Ph.D. student and has asked to be identified only by her first name, would say only that they stand by their demands. Princeton Israel Divest Now (PIAD) published a statement on social media at 1 p.m. and said they were considering their next steps.