Senator O’Scanlon, Assemblywoman Flynn & Assemblyman Scharfenberger Statement on Protests & Calls for Civil Uprising at Rutgers University

Middletown, N.J. – Senator Declan O’Scanlon, Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn and Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (Monmouth – R’s) issue a joint statement regarding the recent anti-Israeli student protests, encampments, and calls for civil uprising occurring at Rutgers University (New Brunswick):

“While we are staunch supporters of free speech and peaceful assembly and wish there to be peace in the Middle East, we cannot ignore the concerns raised to us by parents of Rutgers students about the antisemitic tone of the demonstrations occurring right now at the New Brunswick campus and the fear that the lawlessness and violence occurring on other college campuses will occur here in New Jersey. We have observed these protests starting off in a peaceful manner, but the news reports now show how chaos so easily erupts from these organized demonstrations, resulting in cancelation of classes, and even graduation ceremonies.  We do not wish for this to happen at Rutgers. 

We have received assurances from Rutgers that this protest and “tent city” on campus will remain peaceful.  While we have conveyed those assurance to parents and constituents, they remain fearful with what they are seeing happening elsewhere in the country because these protests tend to escalate into violent activity due to the instigation of outside influence, mostly from non-student agitators.

Let us be clear – as the second largest Jewish populated higher education public institution in the country, we as State legislators call upon Rutgers to ensure every precaution is made to protect the safety and security of ALL of its students. Any disruptions occurring on campus must be addressed swiftly and decisively to ensure the safety and well-being of all members of the university community in accordance with the University’s student code of conduct that recognizes that “the right of free expression does not include the right to engage in conduct that disrupts the University’s operations or endangers the safety of others.”

Some of the communications being shared by the protesting group’s social media page have caused alarm.  For instance, there is an image of a person who appears to be attaching a suicide bomb vest to another person. There is a notice of a “class” to occur today at the tent city for medic training – why would there be a need for medic training at a peaceful protest? The sidewalks of the Rutgers campus are marked with the message, “Welcome to the Intifada” – why would a peaceful protest be so blatant to welcome civil unrest? There are chants by protestors that “Israel Must Fall” and shall be destroyed “From the River to the Sea.” There is no mistaking the anti-Israel messages being circulated on social media in support of this protest. This is unsettling especially when considered in conjunction with the news reports of incidents of harassment towards Jewish students on other college campuses.

This week is “reading week” at Rutgers, so students who feel uncomfortable about this “tent city” protest area need not be on campus because there are no classes occurring.  But next week is a different issue.  Students are scheduled to take final exams. We call upon Rutgers leadership and the protestors to work collaboratively to ensure the integrity of the University’s academic institution and the civil rights of ALL students are protected so that students may attend to their academic pursuits next week. If there is any lawlessness or discriminatory activities that occur on campus, we demand that Rutgers take swift action to stop it because hate has no place here in New Jersey.”