Cornell President Faces Backlash After Incident with Protesters
The president of Cornell University, Michael Kotlikoff, is defending his actions following allegations of reckless driving through a group of protesters during a recent debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This incident took place on Thursday as several students confronted him after a session.
Witnesses reported that Kotlikoff drove away from his car while students crowded around it. One student claimed to have been struck by the vehicle, describing how his leg was run over. Others asserted they merely wanted to engage in a dialogue with the president.
Aiden Valecillo, a member of the Cornell University Democratic Student Union, mentioned, “While we were still trying to talk to him, he immediately started turning towards us.” In response, Kotlikoff claimed that he felt harassed and intimidated by the protesters.
In a statement, he noted that some protestors had a documented history of disruptive behavior at the university, including previous verbal and online abuse directed at faculty and staff, which ultimately led to their bans from campus. He stated that they were banging on his car windows and refusing to cease their shouting.
“I waited until there was space behind the car, and then, using the car’s rear pedestrian alert and automatic braking system, I was able to slowly maneuver the car out of the parking space,” he explained further.
Another student, Sophia Arnold, expressed her frustration with Kotlikoff’s actions. “I have no words. I’m pretty shocked and angry. If I had seen a pedestrian coming out of the supermarket parking lot, I probably would have been more careful.” She insisted that the students had no intentions of disrupting his departure.
Kotlikoff concluded by asserting that the event was not a protest but rather harassment meant to silence voices. He emphasized that such behavior has no place in academia or democracy.
As of now, it remains unclear if there will be any investigation or charges related to this incident.
