Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka has called on law-and-order hardliners to consider the serious issues raised by college campus demonstrators, many of whom are advocating peacefully, and he praised Rutgers University – Newark Chancellor Dr. Nancy Cantor for her message to the community about these protests.
In a series of social media comments, Baraka highlighted the importance of embracing differing opinions with tolerance and respect, emphasizing the need to avoid resorting to fear, contempt, or violence when engaging with citizens whose perspectives differ.
Baraka’s remarks come in response to recent protests erupting on college campuses nationwide, including Rutgers University, where Cantor addressed the community about the significance of peaceful protest.
Baraka, a Democrat and the mayor since 2014 of New Jersey’s largest city, is the only expected candidate for governor who has called for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Baraka called for a cease-fire in February, after the death toll topped 30,000, and condemned “the grim and horrific indiscriminate bombing” by Israeli military forces in retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which the Mayor described as “vile and inexcusable.”
Gazan casualties have been overwhelmingly women and children, and Israeli forces have attacked schools, hospitals, refugee camps, EMS vehicles, and food convoys, Baraka noted.
“This is a clear disregard for human life,” Baraka wrote on Instagram.
“I am grateful to have Nancy Cantor as Rutgers Newark’s Chancellor. As college campuses erupt, as they always do in moments of injustice, it’s clear many university leaders have not learned the lessons of the past,” said Baraka.
Cantor’s message underscored the pain underlying these protests, particularly regarding global conflicts such as the Israeli-Palestinian situation, and emphasized the importance of respectful dialogue and empathy in advocating for diverse perspectives.
“The wave of protest actions taking place on college campuses across the nation, now including Rutgers-Newark, is rooted in pain,” Cantor told Rutgers Newark community members. “We are all pained when we witness human suffering of the form, intensity, and scope of what we are seeing among Israelis and Palestinians. Layered upon that for many at Rutgers-Newark and in our communities is the added pain that comes from identifying with groups suffering on account of their identities. Protest is one way we respond to such pain.”
“It is a vitally important form of free expression in our democracy and universities long have been recognized as particularly important sites of protest, especially at times when our nation is struggling to reconcile disparate interpretations of global conflicts and shape public policies that can help restore peace and promote healing,” said Cantor. “At moments like this, we see just how real that struggle is.”
“We need to speak our minds and advocate for our perspectives and it is essential that we do that with basic human empathy and respect for each other—in other words, peacefully,” said Cantor.
Baraka admonished critics of the protesters to uphold American values of tolerance and respect, instead of lashing out against citizens whose opinions differ, with fear or contempt or violence.
“They invite police with riot gear and assault rifles onto campuses previously free of weapons. They forget Kent State, they forget Orangeburg, they forget the fire they had at 19 to engage with and shape the world they were entering into,” said Baraka.
The Orangeburg Massacre on February 8, 1968, on the campus of South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, South Carolina, was the first instance of police killing student protestors at an American university.
Nine Highway Patrolmen and one city police officer opened fire on a crowd of African American students, killing three and injuring 28, in the culmination of a series of protests against racial segregation at a local bowling alley.
The killing of four and wounding of nine unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State University campus took place on May 4, 1970, during a rally opposing the expanding involvement of the Vietnam War into Cambodia by United States military forces, which President Richard Nixon had announced in an April 30 television address..
Twenty-eight National Guard soldiers fired about 67 rounds over 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. Students Allison Krause, 19, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, 20, and Sandra Lee Scheuer, 20, died on the scene, while William Knox Schroeder, 19, was pronounced dead at Robinson Memorial Hospital in nearby Ravenna shortly afterward.
Referencing historical events such as the Orangeburg Massacre and the Kent State shootings, where police violence resulted in fatalities among student protesters, Baraka cautioned against repeating past mistakes.
He reminded critics of protesters that these moments in youth shape individuals’ identities as adults and contribute significantly to the educational experience beyond classroom learning.
Baraka condemned any form of hate speech, Islamophobia, antisemitism, or threats of violence, advocating for the removal of individuals engaging in such behavior. He stressed the paramount importance of student safety on campuses but cautioned against the use of militarized tactics, such as riot police and SWAT teams, which can escalate tensions and increase the risk of violence.
The mayor praised students engaging in peaceful demonstrations, describing their passion for civic engagement as valuable and admirable. He expressed disappointment in administrators and presidents who fail to recognize the significance of such activism and celebrated the leadership of Chancellor Cantor in fostering an environment that upholds free expression while ensuring the safety and well-being of all students.
“They forget that these moments in our youth make us who were are as adults. They forget that a college education is about as much of what happens outside the classroom as inside it,” said Baraka. “They would all say they believe in free speech, but they forget that it is in moments of disagreement, of protest, of disruption, of difficulty that truly proves the values we hold.”
“Individuals spewing hate, Islamophobia, antisemitism or threatening violence should be removed.,” said Baraka. “Safety of all students must be the first priority of these institutions, but they forget that that can be done without swat teams and riot police – tactics only ever proven to escalate tensions and increase the likelihood of violence.”
“They forget that bad actors can be dealt with without snuffing out the fire of debate and civic discourse – a core tenant of our college campuses,” said Baraka. “Students peacefully demonstrating, standing in the public square to take a stand for justice and human rights should be celebrated and I’m sad to see how many administrators and presidents are willing to forget how valuable and admirable their passion for civic engagement truly is in this world. I’m proud, however, that in Newark, we have a Chancellor clearly does not forget.”
Baraka’s call for reflection and dialogue amid campus protests reflects a broader national conversation about the intersection of free speech, civic engagement, and public safety in academic settings. As discussions continue, his message encourages a balanced approach that respects diverse viewpoints while safeguarding the rights and security of all individuals involved in these important conversations.
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