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Video: Missouri Prof. Caught Making Shocking Action At Protest That Shows What’s Wrong With It All
The Chicago Tribune chronicled what it believes led up to the recent resignation of University of Missouri president Tim Wolfe on Monday. The events, according to the Tribune, started with the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown. The Brown case sparked the burning and looting of Ferguson, Mo., and was used by activists to launch a much bigger protest against perceived police injustice towards people of color.
In April, Bradley Becker plead guilty to destruction of property charges for drawing a swastika on a wall on campus. He had been charged with a hate crime. Then, in September, the student body president, Payton Head, reported that someone had called him the “n” word.
In October, the Legion of Black Collegians, while rehearsing a play, said they were called the n-word by a passerby. In response to the three incidents, the university announced mandatory diversity training. That is when Concerned Student 1950 became a formal protest group on campus.
Concerned Student 1950, during the homecoming parade on campus on October 10th, stopped the car of university president Wolfe by forming a human barricade. The group’s first post on Twitter gives a description of the event and states in a photographed letter, “The demonstration was not an indictment on white people, but it was an indictment on structures in place that uphold white supremacy.” Thus, the group began their protests on the basis of social justice theories.
Concerned Student 1950 began calling for the president to resign on October 20th. Then, on October 24th, a swastika was found drawn using human feces, on the floor and wall of a university bathroom. It is not known who may have done the act, and no person has been charged in the destruction of property crime.
On October 26th, Concerned Student 1950 met with Wolfe and submitted a list of demands to the president; the group later responded that he has not met their demands.
Then, Concerned Student 1950 group member Jonathan Butler announced that he would begin a hunger strike and continue it unless president Wolfe resigned.
Later, members of the football team joined the protestors in demanding that Wolfe resign; but Wolfe, on November 8th, pledged to stay on campus as president. Missouri legislatures got involved and asked that he resign.
After hearing that some faculty members were going to protest by staging a walk-out, Wolfe resigned his position on Monday, the 9th of November.
But, a recent video has surfaced that may give an indication of who is actually behind the Concerned Student 1950 group. It may not be student-led after all.
During the hunger strike, reporters were approaching to cover the event and document the historical occasion when they were accosted, harassed, shoved, and forcefully removed from the area where Butler was camped out for his hunger strike.
Journalist Tim Tai was told he would have to leave, and that no media had the right to take pictures in the quad, the public area where the hunger strike was being held. Pushing, shoving, yelling, and even threatening, the members of Concerned Student 1950 kept forcefully removing Tai.
One older adult who was directly in his face, and the apparent leader of the students, was reportedly Assistant Director of Greek Life and Leadership, Janna Basler.
The videographer, who the Concerned Student 1950 group apparently thought was a part of their organization, then turned away from the commotion with Tai, and walked toward the tents. There, he was met by an angry faculty member, Assistant Professor of Mass Media Melissa Click.
The video journalist said, “I’m media can I talk to you?” Click accosted the video journalist and said, “No, you need to get out! You need to get out!” To which the video journalist responded, “No, I don’t.” Click grabbed his camera and said, “You need to get out!” “I actually don’t,” the journalist responded. “Alright, who wants to help me get this reporter out of here? I need some muscle over here!” Click said.
It is unclear who will replace Wolfe as president of the university. For his part, Jonathan Butler has ceased his hunger strike. At a press conference, Butler was wearing a sweater that read “I love my blackness and yours.” He stated in the press conference, “This is not a moment, but a movement.” He led the crowd to repeat after him, “I am a revolutionary.” The other 10 members on the stage with Butler were wearing shirts and sweaters with the Black Lives Matter symbolic fist. He continued leading the group in repeating after him, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
On the outside looking in, it appears that the actions of Becker, who was prosecuted for his actions, was the impetus for the ousting of white university president Wolfe. It is unclear if the group will be satisfied with the appointment of another white university president or will have to resort to supposed hunger strikes until a black university president is named.
Source: http://www.westernjournalism.com/video-missouri-prof-caught-making-shocking-action-at-protest-that-shows-whats-wrong-with-it-all/
