Nearly every day going to class, I walk past a poster that reads “Protest. Organize. Walk out. Shut it down.” This poster, which has been hanging in CFILM since I first matriculated as a student, has always seemed to encapsulate the core ethos of Wesleyan. I, like many others, came to this school believing that it was here where we would learn to change the world for the better. Yet in the wake of anti-genocide protests on the 20th and 21st of September, that belief has been shattered. Wesleyan administration has cracked down on the dissent expressed at these rallies in the most brutal of ways, bringing police to restrain and threaten peaceful protesters with jail time, and try students on vague disciplinary charges to expel them altogether.

Such shocking intimidation tactics not only deprive students of the ability to conduct their studies and learn, but also are a flagrant violation of the values of the vast majority of the University, including those of President Roth himself (at least those he has loudly proclaimed in prestigious newspapers and interviews.) Wesleyan students have never forgotten the values of free speech, right to protest, and social justice, even if the administration seemingly has. In 1985, the WSA used their budget to create a bail fund for 130 students arrested at the behest of the university while protesting for divestment in South Africa’s apartheid regime. Though the administration may not wish to remember how they went against it, the fall of apartheid is now enshrined as one of the greatest victories for human rights in memory. Even more, just recently, The Argus ran a story on how the 1990 forcing of Wesleyan into ADA compliance was due to the valiant efforts of student protesters—not because of a desire for order and profit. Protesting is Wesleyan’s reputation and culture, and that is something to be proud of.

In the present, the students standing against the worst instance of mass murder in recent times should be celebrated like the protesters of the past, not punished. It is an act of bravery to defend Palestinians who are killed every day with U.S. support, especially as those in power in our government have ignored international, federal, and moral law to maintain the status quo. I invite the entire Wesleyan community, on campus and beyond, to join the movement for Palestinian freedom—including the Board of Trustees. I make no doubt of the investment expertise that led the board to determine that divestment from companies profiting from genocide would be difficult and unprofitable. However, the moral demand of standing up for the oppressed instructs us that sacrifices must be made to make the world a better place, whether they be emotional or financial. Palestine is not a mere “political debate” to be seen as a costly distraction, it is a referendum on our basic moral character.

At this juncture in our university’s history, every single student, administrator, faculty member, and alumnus must make a choice. Letting the repression of student voices become the norm may make Wesleyan more marketable for a short time, but it will strangle the spirit that makes Wesleyan unique and leave it as a closed-off, lifeless husk. Reaffirming that Wesleyan will use its power and many voices to back the basic rights of a people who have suffered under colonization and apartheid for over 100 years restores the university mission and makes a real impact for good. The self-serving rationalizations the administration uses for brutalizing its own students are not isolated, they are a ringingly clear example of a stance against basic human rights. Take the first step back to the right side of history and drop the charges against student anti-genocide protesters.

Skylar Moehs is a member of the class of 2026 and can be reached at smoehs@wesleyan.edu.