Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin won’t condemn pro-Hamas protesters chanting ‘glory to the murders’
Former athletes for the University of Wisconsin-Madison slammed the school for refusing to condemn on-campus protesters who were caught on video glorifying the terrorist attack against Israel.
The Tuesday protest saw a crowd of students with Palestinian flags in front of the school’s library, with one young woman shouting into a microphone, “Glory to the murders!” and “We will liberate the land — by any means necessary!”
One video of the incident has garnered more than 2.6 million views on X.
Those who once played for the school lambasted the institution, which sits about an hour west of Milwaukee, Wi.
“I’m disgusted @UWMadison,” wrote Cami Kronish on X. “Beyond disappointing.”
Kronish starred as a goalie on the women’s hockey team and was named the 2023 Frozen Four Outstanding performer as the Badgers won the national championship, posted on X.
Vitaly Pisetsky, a former kicker on the football team who won two Rose Bowls with the Badgers, followed Kronish’s lead.
“I’ll be the second I guess,” Pisetsky posted on X, referring to Kronish’s post. “Disgusting and disappointing.”
The school has not yet publicly addressed the protest. The university’s roughly 5,200 Jewish students are the sixth-most of any public school in the country, according to Hillel International.
The school described the chants as “respectful dialogue” that they support on and off campus.
“The university is not able to restrict First Amendment protected speech, nor does a speaker, rally, or protest on campus constitute the university’s endorsement of the message,” the school told The Post in a statement.
The school also claimed the protestors were chanting “glory to the martyrs.”
Wisconsin did not dispute the “by any means necessary” chant.
When asked if “martyrs” meant it was acceptable, given the “martyrs” the protestors would be referring to were Hamas terrorists that committed atrocities against Israeli citizens, the school declined comment.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin finally addressed the Hamas attack in a statement Wednesday.
It marks a departure in strategy for the school, which has recently been forced to address similar threats targeted at minority communities on campus.