Last night, we got to observe textbook examples of the ways that peaceful protest (including civil disobedience) can escalate into so much more. In NYC, we saw classic case of police repression, with images of NYPD in riot gear storming the Hamilton Building on Columbia’s campus, as well as the encampment on CUNY’s campus. On UCLA’s campus, we saw counter-protesters attack peaceful protesters at the encampment there.
While there’s a ton to unpack that is specific to each university and each occupation, these campuses are providing classic examples of how peaceful protest turns violent (and has historically).
For anyone who wants to learn more, I talk about this process in detail in chapters 4 and 5 of Saving Ourselves starting on page 109.
Dana R Fisher 