admittedly, end of the school year means they only have so much leverage for so long. But this seems like a paper "win" just to make people feel better and send them home without getting arrested. I think this is the tactic most schools are using "oh well admin can't do this unilaterally we have to go to xyz board/committee with it" and then the students stand down with just a handshake promise that they'll propose it at the next meeting. On paper, it seems miles better than what they've ever gotten before (the lead organizers of these events have mostly all been involved before oct 7th and gotten used to being shut down and ignored,) and if they can get amnesty from reprisals/prosecution to boot...
Honestly I don't know what the right answer is though (this ain't it obviously, but still), they only have so much support, and the supporters are only willing to take so much risk, especially seems to be more of a thing at smaller schools with less eyes on them. Basically any city in the country has enough swat teams and riot cops they can call in to clear something like this unless mayyyybe if the group was very organized, militant, and dug in. The reason they don't is optics but the harder the students push, the easier it gets to just paint them as violent rioters or whatever and come in and mass arrest, which with how disciplined cops are would probably turn into another kent state. Just staying indefinitely doesn't work because kids leave for the summer, and once the numbers wane its a lot easier to just come in and sweep them.
admittedly, end of the school year means they only have so much leverage for so long. But this seems like a paper "win" just to make people feel better and send them home without getting arrested. I think this is the tactic most schools are using "oh well admin can't do this unilaterally we have to go to xyz board/committee with it" and then the students stand down with just a handshake promise that they'll propose it at the next meeting. On paper, it seems miles better than what they've ever gotten before (the lead organizers of these events have mostly all been involved before oct 7th and gotten used to being shut down and ignored,) and if they can get amnesty from reprisals/prosecution to boot...
Honestly I don't know what the right answer is though (this ain't it obviously, but still), they only have so much support, and the supporters are only willing to take so much risk, especially seems to be more of a thing at smaller schools with less eyes on them. Basically any city in the country has enough swat teams and riot cops they can call in to clear something like this unless mayyyybe if the group was very organized, militant, and dug in. The reason they don't is optics but the harder the students push, the easier it gets to just paint them as violent rioters or whatever and come in and mass arrest, which with how disciplined cops are would probably turn into another kent state. Just staying indefinitely doesn't work because kids leave for the summer, and once the numbers wane its a lot easier to just come in and sweep them.