“Oxy United for Black Liberation,” a group of protesting students at Occidental College, just demanded that campus safety officers stop wearing bulletproof vests.

This demand is one of fourteen presented to the administration by the students. Other demands include the resignation of university president Jonathan Veitch, the creation of a Black Studies program, and hiring “physicians of color” to deal with injuries “associated with issues of identity.”^[1]

The students’ full demand reads: “Immediate demilitarization of Campus Safety. Includes, but is not limited to: removal of bulletproof vest from uniform, exclusion of military and external police rhetoric from all documents and daily discourse, increased transparency and positive direct connection to the student body.”

The protester’s demands seem to be influenced by the ideology of the Black Lives Matter movement, which was ostensibly founded in response to alleged incidents of police violence against black people. Black Lives Matter has so far demanded radical changes in policing all over the United States, often, to the detriment of public safety.

Other campus protests similar to this one have resulted to the surrender of university officials. One particular example would be the recent protests at the University of Missouri, which prompted the resignation of both the university’s president and chancellor.

In this case, however, the university trustees remain staunch in their support of Veitch. Board of Trustees chair Chris Calkins was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily News as saying: “From the very beginning, Jonathan has focused on creating a more diverse and inclusive institution… He has been tireless in raising money for scholarships; hiring a diverse faculty and staff, and furthering the mission of the college.”

Instead of chastising the students, however, the school administration chose to heap praises on them for their bravery. “We applaud the socially conscious spirit of these students. They are bringing attention to an important movement and helping our community have a difficult but necessary conversation about race, identity and culture,” it said in a statement.

Interestingly enough, President Barack Obama was an Occidental alumnus, having attended the college from 1979 to 1981 before transferring to Columbia University.^[1]

Source:

[1] Breitbart.com