To Serve and Protect, Not Repress

When does the repression end? It is time for the students of this institution to demand their constitutional right to express. On the the anniversary of the single greatest event in Jewish history this century, students took it upon themselves to display their festive mood. In the late night hours of Yom Ha’atzmaut, more than one-hundred-and-fifty students convened in celebration on the lawn in front of the Max Stern Athletic Center. This territory is known to be off limits to students.

On this evening, the Yeshiva University Department of Security did not recognize the students’ contention that for one night collective celebration must be permitted. Security officials were unwilling to relax their rigid regulations for this rare display of spontaneous expression. When many wished to sing in honor of Israeli Independence, security and maintenance personnel were vigilant in their effort to crush student joy. Surely, the consequences of this gathering did not merit the presence of Burns Security riot police armed with water hoses and sprinklers. That the perfectly manicured grass might have been harmed is just not an adequate justification for repressive security measures. Yes, if there truly existed the possibility of disturbance to neighbors, security intrusion would have been legitimate. However, no such possibility of disturbance was posed by the student singing.

It is fairly clear that the issue here was merely the ability of the University infrastructure to control and repress any independent effort on the part of its students. Is Danziger Quadrangle our Tiannamen Square? It would appear so. But it need not be any longer. Let that be our rallying cry. Let us escape our shackles and make ourselves heard.