Yesterday a group of masked protesters marched down the Lawn to the Rotunda at the University of Virginia demanding a meeting with President Jim Ryan. Spliced among their chants in support of Palestine and against Israel, they intoned the moronic slogan, “Pro… test is a right! That is why we have to fight!” View the video here.

Dudes, no one blocked your right to protest! You’re protesting right now, and no one is stopping you! Not only that, you’re recording your own protest and posting it online! Nothing is happening to you. No one is paying attention. No one cares. What on earth are you whinging about?

Perhaps the marchers were alluding to the shutdown of the pro-Gaza encampment at UVA in May after students were warned repeatedly to disassemble the tent gathering and, when they refused, were broken up by state police. Several were arrested, charged with trespassing, let out of jail, had the trespassing charges dropped, and even had their infractions of the Student Code of Conduct dropped.

Those demonstrators weren’t arrested for protesting…. which they had been doing for days. They were arrested (but never punished) for violating the same time-manner-place restrictions every other UVA student must abide by. If such drivel is what constitutes college-level thinking these days, the only demand the protesters should be making is for a tuition refund.

— JAB