While universities across the country have let anti-Israel demonstrators take over their campuses, the University of Florida has taken a different approach.
Not only will school administrators not think twice about removing disruptive agitators from university property, but a UF spokesman tacitly fired off an insult at pro-Hamas, American lost youth on Monday.
Nine people were arrested in Gainesville after protesters chose to ignore warnings from the school in regard to what would and wouldn’t be allowed on campus.
Campus police and state troopers rolled in on Monday and started slapping handcuffs on people, WKMG-TV in Orlando reported.
Nine students have been arrested at the University of Florida.
Let’s dive into this since I have been following this closely from the very beginning. I applaud @BenSasse and @UF because the University of Florida may be one of a handful of schools in the nation to show any… pic.twitter.com/DQlDovl1PF
— Stu (@thestustustudio) April 30, 2024
Steve Orlando, the university’s assistant vice president of communications, issued a statement likening the agitators to small children.
“This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences,” he said Monday.
Orlando added that the rules for what would be acceptable from demonstrators were communicated clearly and that the people who were arrested were responsible for their life choices.
Do you approve of Florida’s response?
“For many days, we have patiently told protesters — many of whom are outside agitators — that they were able to exercise their right to free speech and free assembly,” he said. “And we also told them that clearly prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order from UPD (barring them from all university properties for three years) and an interim suspension from the university.
“For days UPD patiently and consistently reiterated the rules. Today, individuals who refused to comply were arrested after UPD gave multiple warnings and multiple opportunities to comply.”
Perfect statement from University of Florida on arresting protestors: “[UF] is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children—they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences.”
This is the Florida way. pic.twitter.com/ImHa5wOhhz
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 30, 2024
As WKMG noted Friday, Florida’s administrators said they wanted to do anything they could to encourage a free and open debate, which is protected under the First Amendment.
However, the school said, “Camping, putting up structures, disrupting academic activity, or threatening others on university property is strictly prohibited.”
Schools like Columbia in New York City have allowed the inmates to run the asylum for weeks now to scare Jewish students and live like vagabonds.
It is absolute anarchy @Columbia
We have professional burglars on campus. They are endangering the safety of ALL OF US. pic.twitter.com/VdDEiCJQBB
— Jessica Schwalb (@jessicaschwalb7) April 30, 2024
In contrast, the University of Florida set an example in leadership last week and walked the walk on Monday.
UF President Ben Sasse took flak during his later years in the Senate, earning him the moniker of RINO (“Republican in name only”) from some on the right.
But during his second year in Gainesville, the former Nebraska lawmaker has shown he knows how to run a major university, and it starts with enforcing the rules.
People can be as upset about Israel’s war against Islamic terrorists as they want, but they do not have a right to take over public property.
While other university heads have let anti-Semitism brew and erupt on their campuses, Sasse and Florida have shown that the problem can be solved for anyone willing to stand on the side of order.
