A group discussion held in Washington, D.C. this week revealed that several prominent university leaders in the United States believe that the campus protests supporting Palestine and criticizing Israel are coordinated and incited by external forces. According to Fox News, Kent Syverud, the chancellor of Syracuse University, described the protests that have occurred on his campus and at universities nationwide during the discussion on Tuesday (October 28).
He told the audience, “When I am convinced that these events have been prompted by Iran, (these protests) had very few of our own students participating, or very few participated.”
Chancellor Syverud also mentioned the difficulty in holding individuals accountable as the protesters deliberately masked or covered their identities. He stated that masked individuals may come from “radicals from elsewhere.”
Daniel Diermeier, the chancellor of Vanderbilt University, also pointed out that these protests are clearly coordinated, with “instruction manuals” guiding them, indicating support and incitement from an “organized network.”
Diermeier explained, “They are reading and using strategy manuals they have seen at Columbia University and elsewhere, conveying the same information. This is not just social communication; I believe there is an organized network behind it. We have indeed seen this. These networks may be planning behind the scenes, inciting or directing students and agitators to disrupt campus order.”
Andrew D. Martin, the chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, also expressed his agreement. He mentioned that protesters once attempted to camp on the campus but were later dispersed. “Three-quarters of them had no connection to our university,” he said.
The discussion was organized by “Alums for Campus Fairness,” which aims to mobilize university alumni dedicated to combating anti-Semitism on university campuses and nationwide.
These protests mainly erupted following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and quickly escalated into chaos and disorder, plaguing campuses across the United States. Due to protesters occupying campus facilities, establishing camps, and disrupting normal teaching order, renowned universities like Columbia and Harvard have taken measures such as dispersing and enforcing strict disciplinary actions. For instance, at Columbia, over 70 students were either expelled or suspended as a result.