I could be ‘thrown to the lions’: Columbia prof speaks out against campus crackdowns | Real Talk

"The more they offer the Trump administration, the more the Trump administration is going to ask - and the demands in that letter [sent to Columbia] are absolutely unacceptable."

In this Real Talk interview, Columbia humanities professor Bruce Robbins reveals why he’s concerned he could be "thrown to the lions" over steps he took during last year's campus protests.

Robbins speaks about how in April last year he took his class to one of the encampments, a decision that resulted in two students making complaints to the university, which have since resulted in a formal investigation.

Speaking to Mohamed Hashem, he condemns the ongoing witch-hunt against pro-Palestine activists by Columbia administrators and the Trump administration, especially in the wake of Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest.

He urges the university not to capitulate to the Trump administration’s demands given to the university to reinstate $400 million in federal funding.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:25 Mahmoud Khalil's arrest
04:20 Complicity in Khalil's arrest?
10:33 Narrative of antisemitism on campus
14:19 Surveillance on campus
18:40 Current mood on campus
21:22 Trump's crackdown on Columbia
23:54 Is Columbia appeasing Trump?
29:50 'Nobody can protect you'
31:25 Charges against Bruce Robbins
40:51 How are you processing all this?
42:53 Should the students have reacted differently?
48:23 What do you say to Columbia administration?

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