Why are the City College protesters being charged with felonies that could land them up to nine years in jail—while Columbia students are facing much lighter sentences?
In the early hours of May 1, teams of police in riot gear, brandishing mace and tasers, stormed the neo-Gothic Harlem campus of the City College of New York to remove a Gaza solidarity encampment. Earlier in the evening and about 20 blocks south, officers had removed protesters from Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, which students had occupied in the early hours of the previous morning. 170 people were arrested at City College, and 112 at Columbia. More than 2,000 people have been arrested protesting against Israel on…