John Fetterman
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Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, criticized the United Nations on the social media platform X for not denouncing Hamas for several months since October 7.
Anti-Israel activists
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He also expressed worries about the treatment of anti-Israel activists by the U.S. “UN: Unwilling to condemn Hamas who killed, raped, mutilated and tortured more than 1,000 Israeli babies, children, women, and elderly,” Fetterman wrote, adding “Also UN:” followed by a headline from Reuters that declared U.N. rights chief Volker Turk was “troubled by treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters at U.S. universities.”
Criticized
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Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, criticized American law enforcement for their “disproportionate” response to anti-Israel demonstrators on college campuses in the U.S. In a chaotic turn of events, the University of California, Los Angeles campus descended into disorder as clashes erupted between opposing groups during anti-Israel protests, leading to police intervention.
Columbia University
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Similarly, at Columbia University in New York City, police entered Hamilton Hall, which had been occupied and barricaded by agitators, and forcibly evicted the students from the premises.
Law enforcement
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“I am concerned that some of law enforcement actions across a series of universities appear disproportionate in their impacts,” Turk wrote in a statement. “Incitement to violence or hatred on grounds of identity or viewpoints – whether real or assumed – must be strongly repudiated,” he continued. “We have already seen such dangerous rhetoric can quickly lead to real violence.”
Violence
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Turk emphasized the importance of addressing violence on a case-by-case basis instead of implementing sweeping measures that attribute unacceptable views of a few protestors to the entire demonstration.
Human rights laws
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He also highlighted the need for universities and law enforcement to adhere to human rights laws, enabling open debate and safeguarding safe environments for all individuals.
Student activism
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“U.S. universities have a strong, historic tradition of student activism, strident debate and freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” Türk said. “It must be clear that legitimate exercises of the freedom of expression cannot be conflated with incitement to violence and hatred.”
Hostages
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Following the October 7 attack, Turk criticized the act of taking hostages and the appalling mass killings carried out by Palestinian armed groups, but did not explicitly condemn Hamas. In February, he stated that “all parties” involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict have violated international human rights and humanitarian laws, including potential war crimes and other offenses under international law.
Peaceful demonstrations
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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the importance of upholding freedom of expression and peaceful demonstrations while emphasizing the intolerability of hate speech. He also suggested that university officials should effectively handle and oversee such situations themselves.
Denounce Hamas
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The United Nations has not taken action to denounce Hamas for the October 7 attack on Israel, primarily because of Security Council vetoes by countries like Russia. However, Guterres has personally condemned the terrorist assaults on Israel, “for which there can be no justification,” he has said.
Gaza Strip
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As the conflict in the Gaza Strip extended beyond six months, American universities have taken stricter actions to control protests spreading across their campuses. Ivy League institutions, particularly Columbia University, have become focal points for these demonstrations, which have also surfaced in California and Texas campuses.
Suspended
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The University of Texas, Austin, suspended the Palestinian Solidarity Committee following multiple student arrests. Before clearing out Hamilton Hall, Columbia University restricted campus access and secured buildings after protesters barricaded the hall with metal gates, tables, chairs, and zip ties.
Protesters
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Videos captured protesters in New York breaking windows, displaying a Palestinian flag, and chanting slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Palestine will live forever.” Students demanded the university divest from Israel and adopt transparent investment policies.
Student safety
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University administrators emphasized student safety as their top priority, expressing gratitude for patience, cooperation, and understanding. Requests for comments from Guterres and Volker’s offices to Fox News Digital went unanswered at the time of publication.
