Campus law enforcement and arms manufacturers face pro-Palestine protest in New Orleans

New Orleans, LA – On the afternoon of June 26, attendees of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) conference at the Sheraton Hotel encountered a crowd of pro-Palestine protesters.

New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports organized action in response to a call by the Anti-War Action Network to protest against arms manufacturers. Conference presenters include Glock and Motorola, which provide arms and surveillance to the Israeli occupation.

Conference sponsors included Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Tulane University, both of which have been at the forefront of the repression against pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist voices.

“We must drop the ADL once and for all,” said Daniel Jose, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, before highlighting the ADL’s long history of surveilling activists, supporting violence against protesters, and silencing any criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism.

Law enforcement administrators from universities across the country were in attendance, many of them directly responsible for the violent suppression against pro-Palestine student protests this year. These administrators came to New Orleans to meet with weapons manufacturers and military contractors, likely to purchase services that will further police, surveil and brutalize students across the country. Tulane University, which called in armed Louisiana State Troopers to disband and arrest student protesters in May, was also present.

“This year we’ve shown Tulane the fiercest struggle they’ve seen in years. But they’ve struggled back, and they’re in there right now with military contractors like Glock preparing for our struggle,” said Tulane student Rory MacDonald, who was arrested at the student encampment in May.

Juleea Berthelot, a Loyola University student who was also arrested at the Tulane encampment, spoke on the Loyola administration’s ongoing attacks against students, stating, “Just last week, Loyola President Xavier Cole praised the student protesters for their exercise of free speech, but right after gave the administration the ‘go-ahead’ to hit students with conduct violations that effectively silence their right to exercise that same freedom of speech.”

Berthelot continued, “They are trying their hardest to make sure I will not be able to do what I’m doing here right now.”

IACLEA conference speakers included former FBI Assistant Director John Miller, known for his defense of the New York police department’s discriminatory surveillance tactics on Muslims. The Anti-Defamation League, one of the leading advocates of suppressing all speech critical of Israel, gave a panel on anti-Israel activism on campuses. Another presentation during the day claimed that a strong foreign influence by actors hostile to the U.S. was the primary driver behind the 2024 student demonstrations, which is an unfounded characterization.

Despite Israeli hecklers and heavy rain, the demonstration continued as planned. Speeches were given by organizers with Tulane Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Freedom Road Socialist Organization, New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police, and Masjid Omar, among others. Protesters also picketed outside the Sheraton Hotel’s lobby, where attendees of the conference were watching the demonstration unfold.

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