Students at Tulane University Have Their COVID Protest Canceled for the Greatest of Reasons

Townhall Media/Julio Rosas
AP featured image
Police protest

 

At Tulane University, students are swimming in irony as they protest water.

A group called Taking Action at TU has claimed the New Orleans college isn’t doing enough to protect them from COVID-19.

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In an Instagram post, the organization announced the following:

“We say no more to the racist, capitalist, and imperialist structure that Tulane upholds! Tulane’s insatiable desire for profit will continue the spread of coronavirus in the city of New Orleans, on and off campus. We will not stand by as Tulane toys with black death! you shouldn’t either!!! Join us in the streets this Wednesday at 4:30 pm and let your voice be heard!!!

As with any condemnation of the “C” word, I have to wonder if whoever wrote the above knows the definition of capitalism, which is — of course — an economic system in which an individual may own his or her own business.

If I was standing on a golf ball, I’d likely lean toward No.

As for the group’s planned “die-in” to punctuate Tulane’s negligence where the virus is concerned, the school employed the kibosh: As it turned out, the demonstration was going to violate TU’s restrictions…aimed at protecting students from the virus.

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On top of that, Taking Action at TU previously helped lead a march against police brutality during which participants eschewed social distancing.

See the protestors who tempt the virus who would like to further tempt the virus in an effort to protest tempting the virus tempt the virus below (Language Warning):

Here’s more from The Washington Free Beacon:

In an email to student activists, Tulane’s director of student conduct told the protest organizers that they had flouted campus coronavirus restrictions once and would face serious repercussions if they moved forward with the die-in. In August, students held a march entitled “#AbolishTUPD,” which violated several of the school’s COVID guidelines. Video footage obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon shows hundreds of students marching—and not social distancing—while screaming “f— the system, f— the police.”

College senior Rachel Altman told the Free Beacon the attempted rally was an affront to logic:

“It makes no sense to complain that Tulane opening for small, in-person classes with enforced mask-wearing and social distancing puts the city in extreme danger, and then organize a protest where dozens of students march around without social distancing. It’s so hypocritical.”

Given the protest’s postponement, Taking Action at TU called on members to email college administrators in support of the Black Student Union.

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The BSU, notes the Beacon, has made demands which include “reparations for the descendants of slaves who worked on the plantation that became Tulane’s campus nearly 200 years ago.”

An Instagram post put it like this:

“With re-opening [the school], it’s even more pressing that the university get a move-on with fixing long-standing issues of structural racism and other forms of oppression. Let’s get to emailing.”

View this post on Instagram

We wanna model the accountability and transparency we want to see, so in light of recent events: here's a quick update. While we work on building our capacity for COVID safety, we're calling on students to continue bringing awareness and support to tBSU'S demands. VIRTUAL ACTION ITEM FOR TODAY: Click the link in our bio to send an email to Tulane administration voicing your support for tBSU expectations and immediate university action! These demands and expectations are a result of decades of Black student organizing and work to make Tulane a better place for the most marginalized among us. With re-opening, it's even more pressing that the university get a move-on with fixing longstanding issues of structural racism and other forms of oppression. Let's get to emailing! 📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝

A post shared by taking action @ TU (@studentactiongroup) on

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So goes the battle for health and justice at the university level.

As for protesting lax regulations while violating them, Taking Action at TU might wanna pick a lane — so far, they’ve been in Tu…lane(s).

-ALEX

 

See more pieces from me:

September 11th: Remembering Not Only Tragedy, but Something Greater

Woman Is Told She Can’t Vote Because of Her Shirt, So She Takes It Off

University of Michigan Hosts Two Cafes: One for Whites, One for Everybody Else

Portland Bans Facial Recognition Technology to Protect Peaceful Rioters

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