Murphy on Campus Unrest: ‘It’s Complicated…’
NEWARK – The governor just finished celebrating the official opening of a new, startup development program for “hard-tech” companies Tuesday morning when he fielded questions about ongoing campus unrest.
“It’s complicated, no question about it,” Phil Murphy told reporters.
That may not sound like much of an answer, but by any objective measure, there is no easy answer here.
The most recent New Jersey news in this regard was the arrest Monday night of 13 people who took over an administration building at Princeton University.
Students there – and elsewhere – are supporting the Palestinians’ cause and are also calling on universities to divest from companies that support the Israeli military.
In earlier comments, the governor has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, but also for the release of hostages and a dismantling of Hamas.
Given the fact it is now almost seven months since Hamas attacked Israel, views on both positions seem to have hardened, meaning those who seek to strike a middle ground end up annoying both sides.
As for the student protests, Murphy referred to comments by the Princeton president about protests having a time, a place and a manner.
That suggests peaceful protests that do not upset the normal life of a campus.
But as Murphy acknowledged, in many cases, that is not happening.
Speaking of anti-Semitic and anti-Islam sentiments, the governor said:
“We’ve seen, sadly, a lot of both of late.”
More broadly, Murphy said that “peaceful protests” are one thing, but when the educational life of a university is disturbed, the authorities have to step in.
However, he did not comment specifically on the arrests at Princeton, noting that he wasn’t there.
The official news of the day was something much more positive; Murphy, in fact, called it a huge win for Newark and New Jersey.
The governor helped cut the ceremonial ribbon for HAX, which has opened its U.S. headquarters in the city.
The governor’s office described HAX as a “startup development program for pre-seed hard tech companies, with offices across the world.” It supports startups and entrepreneurs through investment capital, mentorship, and collaboration.
HAX, which is operated by Princeton-based venture capital firm SOSV, provides support for emerging companies, including a $250,000 initial investment in each participating company, 180 days of hands-on collaboration, and a global community for early-stage founders building hard tech startups. The 35,000-square-foot space on Broad Street boasts tools and workspaces such as chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering labs, 3D printing, manual metal fabrication, Computer Numerical Control machining, and laser cutting. Since May of 2022, 32 HAX-supported startups have been operating out of the company’s temporary space in Newark.
Duncan Turner, the global managing director of HAX, described the firm’s approach thusly:
“Help make the impossible, inevitable.”
Murphy said that HAX could have gone anywhere in the world, but:
“They chose Newark, New Jersey.”
I
Aren’t we blessed. Gas tax increase, sales tax increase. Less money to schools that don’t support Murphys causes. Yes what a great plan for Newark. Hot the bricks Smurphy!
Only a Democrat-Communist would say “Campus Unrest” is complicated. It’s only complicated to morons or communist “useful idiots”. Any smart-minded and reasonable leader would be arresting and jailing campus terrorists who are blocking other students from attending classes, study week and test week to get their degrees. Anyone who blocks other students from this should pay damages (after serving jail time) to those students who are deprived of their testing and “diplomas.”
It’s not complicated. Supporting a nonexistent country and terrorism is lunacy. Calling for the death of America and Jews is wrong. Expel those students.
Right on
Expel those students. Deport those here on student visas, stop using taxpayer money to support all these colleges and universities
Conservatives keep talking about students calling for the death of Jews, while the Israeli government and military has mass murdered 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women in children. The students are protesting peacefully and exercising their first amendment right. They protest genocide. They do not support terrorism, but that’s how biased outlets like Fox and Newsmax are spinning it. If the protests have become violent, it’s because they’ve been infiltrated, just like on January 6. During Covid, liberals were happy to censor those who contradicted the official narrative about the virus and vaccines. Now we have conservatives happy to censor speech about occupied Palestine. Both parties betray the first amendment when it suits their ideologies.
Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair is an Hamas sympathizer.
Israel has NOT mass murdered 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hamas has done that, thank you! Hamas uses civilians as “human shields” and then blames everyone else for “mass murder of civilians”. F is F forgets who struck Israel first and mass murdered over 1,000 innocent Israeli and American civilians in Israel. F is F forgets that he is sympathizing with Palestinians who voted for Hamas and got the government they deserve. F is F forgets that Hamas and Palestinian sympathizers went to eliminate Israel and all Jews (e.g., from the “River to the Sea”).
Let’s remember that Israelis have been around for 4,000 years. Palestinians have only been around for a few decades. Since Palestinians won’t denounce Hamas, then they reap what they sow.