New York University canceled a scheduled speech by Dr. Joanne Liu, a former president of Doctors Without Borders and NYU alumna. The cancellation occurred just hours before her planned address on March 19th.
Dr. Liu, a Montreal pediatrician, intended to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and cuts to USAID funding. The university raised concerns about slides referencing Gaza’s death toll, suggesting they could be perceived as antisemitic. Other slides addressing funding cuts were flagged as anti-governmental. The decision to cancel followed a request from the university’s education department vice-chair.
Dr. Liu expressed shock at the cancellation, attributing it to fears of backlash from the Trump administration. Her talk aimed to highlight the dire conditions in Gaza, including the reported deaths of over 48,000 people and the decimation of healthcare, based on her firsthand experience. Academics and other critics condemned NYU for suppressing free speech, arguing the university succumbed to political pressure instead of encouraging open debate.
On March 31st, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich resigned from his position, submitting a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesperson for Smotrich stated the resignation was a protest against Itamar Ben Gvir's request for more ministerial positions upon his return to the government. Despite sharing far-right views and supporting the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, tensions had arisen between the two over police funding and Ben-Gvir’s earlier departure from the government in January.
US Senator Jim Banks commented to a former US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worker that he "probably deserved" being fired, after the former employee confronted the senator in Washington DC on April 1st.
Donald Trump announced sweeping 25 percent tariffs on all foreign automobile sales at a "Make America Wealthy Again" event held in the White House Rose Garden on April 2nd. He blamed previous US presidents and their administrations for failing to fulfill their duties, which he claimed necessitated these new economic measures.
A trend has emerged where people are transforming their selfies into images mimicking the style of Japanese anime company Studio Ghibli. However, this trend raises concerns about privacy, copyright, and potential political misuse, which even Studio Ghibli's co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki, would likely disapprove of.
5 Comments
Matzomaster
Perhaps the university wanted to ensure a balanced discussion. Maybe they had a good reason.
Karamba
NYU's probably trying to avoid controversy and protect its students. Understandable, I guess.
Rotfront
I can see how some of the slides might be misconstrued.
Marishka
It's a difficult situation. NYU likely had legitimate legal concerns about some of the images.
Pupsik
This is a complex issue with strong feelings on both sides. Let's not jump to conclusions about NYU.