A Professor at Cornell University who was accused of “justifying terrorism” after describing Hamas’ bloody campaign in southern Israel on October 7 as “provocative” has come under fire again for participating in an anti-Israel march on a college campus this week, when protesters could be heard chanting “Long live the intifada” before storming a career fair.
observed Russell Rickford, associate professor of history at Cornell University. on video On Wednesday, he marched on campus with dozens of anti-Israel supporters, wearing keffiyehs on their shoulders.
Some protesters, many of them wearing face masks and keffiyehs, carried Palestinian flags and posters that read “Cornell Disassociate from Genocide” and “Stop Funding Genocide.”
Cornell professor ‘excited’ after Hamas attack apologizes for ‘reprehensible’ remarks
Russell Rickford, an associate professor of history at Cornell University, was seen in a video with a keffiyeh slung over his shoulder, marching on campus with dozens of anti-Israel supporters. (Courtesy: New York Post)
The furious, pan-wielding protesters eventually disrupted the career fair, held at the campus’ Statler Hotel, while video showed Rickford standing outside and clapping.
School officials said protesters pushed the school down Police officerHowever, it does not appear that Rickford was part of the group that broke into the career fair.
“Guests of the university felt threatened. And students were denied a chance to experience the career fair,” Cornell University Vice President Joel Malina said in a statement. “This behavior is unacceptable, violates university policy, and is illegal.”
A Jewish student told New York Post One said the trainer’s presence at the protest was “madness” and another accused him of “promoting hatred”. The video showed the group chanting “Long live the intifada”. Intifada is an Arabic word meaning uprising or revolt or resistance movement.
Rickford, an expert on African American political culture, was heavily criticized last year after he made inflammatory comments about Hamas’s covert operations. Terrorist attack Which killed 1,200 people and started the current war in Gaza.
Rickford said at the time, “It was exciting, it was energizing … I was excited.” He later retracted his comments and apologized, He described the speech as “reprehensible”.
Video: Cornell professor reacts to Hamas’ terrorist activities: ‘Encouraging’
The self-described “secular Marxist” eventually went on leave amid media criticism over his comments about Hamas’ killings of hundreds of civilians, including American citizens, but has now returned to college.
Amanda Silberstein, vice president of Chabad and Cornellians for Israel, an Israel advocacy group on campus, said Rickford accompanied students to the Statler Hotel but was unsure whether he went inside.
“He was wearing a keffiyeh and smiling. Rickford knows he is immune from consequences,” Silberstein told the Post. “We have a professor who is promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric and promoting hate.”
Malina said students who violated university policies during the protests would be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for “immediate action, including suspension,” while faculty and staff would be referred to human resources.
“These individuals will also face potential criminal charges,” Malina said.
When Cornell asked Fox News Digital for comment on Rickford’s latest actions, they provided Molina’s prior statement.
“Last October, Professor Russell Rickford made appalling remarks at an off-campus rally in downtown Ithaca. As then-President Pollack and Board Chairman Kaiser said at the time, his remarks were reprehensible and reflected a total disrespect for humanity. Professor Rickford apologized for his comments and has taken voluntary leave for the remainder of the academic year.”
“Consistent with well-established principles of academic freedom, Cornell has a process for considering whether public statements expressed by Professor Rickford at an off-campus political rally fall within the category of protected speech, or demonstrate prohibited prejudice, discrimination, or harassment. Given that Professor Rickford’s comments were made in his spare time as a private citizen, the university’s academic leadership has concluded that Professor Rickford’s conduct in connection with this incident did not meet that high standard.”
Fox News Digital was unable to reach Rickford for comment.
Russell Rickford is an anti-Israel professor at Cornell University who has called for an anti-racist “uprising” to seize power in the US, so that that power and resources can be redistributed away from the allegedly “white supremacist” system. (YouTube/Screenshot)
Rickford’s comments on political violence go back a decade.
In two videos reviewed by Fox News Digital, one from 2021 and another from 2014, Rickford discussed his desire for an anti-racist “rebel” group to take power in the United States. In one video, he said some white people are willing to commit “racial suicide” and discussed the “politics of violence” while simultaneously attacking the ideals of civility.
During a webinar hosted on the Cornell Platform in February 2021, Rickford endorsed “anti-racist radical frameworks”. Radical frameworks call for a fundamental revolutionary change in society to alter the distribution of wealth in a neo-Marxist fashion.
Russell Rickford is Professor of History at Cornell University. (Fox News Digital | Getty)
“Radical anti-racists … knew that justice required not dialogue but a real redistribution of resources and power. Attacking the roots of white supremacy meant challenging the normal operations of capitalism.”
Rickford also states that Black Lives Matter movement “This reflects more of a redistributive way of doing anti-racism,” he said, adding that “we don’t need more civil dialogue (but) more insurgent popular anti-racist movements that fight the entire system of oppression.”
Fox News’ Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.
