Latest news with #Dissent
Chicago Tribune
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Evanston teacher preps discrimination complaint as advocates say appeals for Palestinian human rights are squelched
At an Evanston event Sunday, a teacher shared his experience of getting sanctioned by Evanston Township High School for displaying a poster that urges Jews to dissent when they feel it is morally necessary, and other speakers said they feel Evanston schools have censored their right to speak when they tried to advocate for human rights for Palestinians. Speakers with affiliations to Northwestern University and Evanston Township High School, community members and parents gathered at Lake Street Church to discuss several instances where they felt their voices had been suppressed when they spoke out advocating for Palestinian human rights. One of the speakers, Evanston Township High School history teacher Andrew Ginsburg, spoke about how ETHS has sanctioned him twice: once for displaying an image calling for Jewish people to dissent when necessary, and once again for displaying a letter explaining that the first image was removed at the behest of the school district. The letter called the removal of the poster an act of censorship. In response to the sanctions he has received, he said he plans to submit a federal civil rights complaint against the school. Ginsberg, who is Jewish and advocates for Palestinians' human rights, told Pioneer Press that he has done no wrong, despite his job at the high school hanging in the balance after receiving the two warnings. '[The district] has taught us to be relevant to the kids. They've taught us that you can't get the kids to share stuff about their lives if you don't share stuff about your life. I think I've been consistent with that, and I'm being punished for it,' Ginsberg said. The original poster Ginsburg displayed was a drawing of a shiviti amulet that Jewish artist Liora Ostroff created for the magazine Jewish Currents. The drawing was influenced by an essay titled 'Dissent' by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who wrote, according to several sources, 'Dissent is indigenous to Judaism.' Ginsberg and his attorney, Rima Kapitan, plan to file a complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that the school discriminated against him based on his religious identity. 'We feel that the school is violating his First Amendment right and also Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,' Kapitan said. Though his situation has received some attention from Evanstonians, Ginsburg said it is not unique, and that other people in Evanston, including Jews, have also felt backlash and repercussions for advocating for Palestinian human rights. 'This has happened to other teachers. This is happening at Northwestern [and] all over the place. This is happening in the city,' Ginsberg said. 'We like to talk about how progressive we are up here, but when it comes to Palestine… all the institutions in the city have gone out of their way to silence everybody (who) wants to talk about Palestine.' Speakers at the panel represented several Evanston institutions, including the Evanston Public Library, Northwestern University and Skokie/Evanston School District 65. 'You can't talk about Palestine in elementary school, you can't talk about Palestine in high school, and you can't talk about Palestine at college,' said co-host of the panel and former Evanston Librarian Lesley Williams. Last October a student group at Northwestern University, Jewish Voice for Peace Northwestern, celebrated the Jewish holiday of Sukkot at Deering Meadow. The group set up a structure with banners that read, 'Gaza Solidarity Sukkah' and 'Stop Arming Israel.' The group intended to celebrate the holiday for the entire week, but was ordered to leave after a few hours. Northwestern University's Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications Jon Yates told Pioneer Press then that Jewish Voice for Peace did not get its event application approved, and that the group's temporary structure did not follow the university's display policy. But the university's efforts to enforce its own code of conduct and display policy went further than that night, according to Isabelle Butera, a member of the Northwestern chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace. 'We tried again to do this in compliance with these new restrictions, and we were told again that this was in violation, that we could all be facing expulsion, and that it was very clearly implied to us that the reason we were in violation is because our sukkah had a banner on it that said, 'Stop arming Israel' and 'Gaza Solidarity Sukkah,'' she said. 'Since then, a number of us have been placed on disciplinary probation. I graduated in June, and my probation is not up until September… Our club was put on probation,' Butera said. Shirin Vossoughi, a professor at the university, said Northwestern has a history of creating a 'repressive environment' when it comes to discussing Palestine, and it existed before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack against Israel. The university's practice of doing so was exacerbated after the university updated its code of conduct, she said. 'I think the fundamental question for me as an educator is, 'What does it mean for our educational institutions to contradict the mission of the university to such a degree?'' she said. 'We want our students to interpret evidence. We want our students to stand up against moral injustices… They're [the students] punished, and I feel like what we've done essentially is sacrifice some of our education principles and mission in order to protect a state that is enacting genocide,' Vossoughi said. Northwestern University President Michael Schill is slated to appear for a second time before a congressional committee over alleged antisemitism on campus, according to a June 30 Chicago Tribune article. The committee chair, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, a Michigan Republican, accused Northwestern of failing to fulfill its commitment to protect Jewish students. Reine Hanna, Evanston Township High School District 202's director of communications, told Pioneer Press the district does not comment on matters related to personnel. Yates, of Northwestern, did not respond to a request for comment after Sunday's event. As of last month, upwards of 55,000 Palestinians had been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, according to Chicago Tribune sources. The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people, mostly Jewish civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and abducted 251 hostages, according to sources. Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive, according to previously published reporting. The U.N. human rights office says it has recorded 613 Palestinians killed within a month in Gaza while trying to obtain food, according to Tribune sources. Previously, international humanitarian nonprofits oversaw food distribution, but the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has taken over.
Fox News
31-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Democratic rep calls on party to tolerate dissenting ideas on controversial issues
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., urged the Democratic Party to be more tolerant of dissenting opinions on controversial issues — such as transgender athletes competing in women's sports — during a conversation with Bill Maher on "Real Time" on Friday. Moulton argued that one of the Democratic Party's biggest problems is its intolerance of internal dissent, which has led to Republicans winning over the public on hot-button issues. The Massachusetts representative faced calls for his resignation last November after he challenged the left's stance on transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports during an interview with The New York Times. "Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face," he said at the time. "I have two little girls. I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I'm supposed to be afraid to say that." Maher brought this up during his conversation with Moulton and praised him for speaking out, claiming that Democrats need to stop taking the unpopular side of "80/20" issues. The late-night host also mentioned that Moulton's campaign manager quit over his statement on transgender athletes and that people like his former campaign manager "are the problem." "The point is, we can't have disagreements in the party," Moulton claimed. "That was actually the latter half of my juicy quote to the New York Times. I just said, 'I don't want my daughter getting run over,' but as a Democrat, I'm not allowed to say that." He continued, saying, "That's the problem: we can't even discuss these issues. We can't even have a reasonable policy on trans people in sports because we're not allowed to talk about it, and Republicans just run away with the issue, and they're very extreme." Maher told Moulton that while he appreciates him taking that stance, "it's got to go further than that." "You have to be able to talk about it, and also, that guy's wrong and you're right! How about that? You're right about this," he asserted. Later on in the conversation, the Democratic representative called out his party for slamming Republicans as "weird," while simultaneously requiring members to have their pronouns listed in their email signatures. "Look, if you want to be trans, go for it. It's a free country, and you can put your pronouns out there, but don't put that on me," Moulton explained. He reiterated that Democrats need to stop taking the "20" side of "80/20" issues and expect to win over the majority of the country. "We got to actually be real with the American people — just be honest — and it's okay if you disagree, I'm fine with that," Moulton stated. "But I get to speak as a dad, that's legitimate."
The National
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Jewish split over Gaza deepens in the UK
Dissent over position of the Board of Deputies on Israel's military campaign in Gaza flourishing
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indivisible Charlotte holds 10th Tesla protest in Matthews
A local civic engagement and advocacy group hosted its tenth Tesla protest Saturday afternoon. READ: Thousands gather in Charlotte to participate in national 'Hands Off!' protest Volunteers with Indivisible Charlotte gathered in front of the Matthews Tesla dealership in a peaceful protest. Organizers said the group was out there to protest D.O.G.E. and Elon Musk, with a focus on dissent toward billionaire involvement in the government and cuts to social programs. The protests aim to discourage others from buying Tesla vehicles or Tesla stock, according to organizers. PHOTOS: Indivisible Charlotte holds 10th Tesla protest in Matthews
New York Times
26-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
A No-Frills Irish Pub Draws a Martini Crowd
Misty Gonzales has been tending bar at T.J. Byrnes, an Irish pub in the Financial District of Manhattan, for 13 years. For most of that time, she has served office workers, college students and city employees. Two years ago, she noticed some unfamiliar faces. This new crowd was younger and usually stopped in for poetry readings, book-club gatherings and parties. Aside from their age, their drink orders set them apart. 'Martinis are the biggest thing — I couldn't even get over how many people are drinking martinis,' Ms. Gonzales said. 'Lots of Negronis, too.' In the past year, the pub has hosted talks led by the art critic Dean Kissick, a holiday party for the leftist publication Dissent, a monthly reading series called Patio, a performance-art karaoke competition and a pre-Valentine's Day party for single readers of Emily Sundberg's Substack newsletter Feed Me. Some of Ms. Sundberg's 180 guests were initially confused by the choice of location. 'This was the first time people have texted me before being like, 'What is this place?'' said Ms. Sundberg, 30, who first went to the bar for a friend's birthday a couple years ago. 'I wouldn't go as far as to call it the new Clandestino,' she added, referring to the downtown bar that is often bursting at the seams along Canal Street. 'But if you have brand events — magazine parties, readings — it's become a venue.' At first glance, T.J. Byrnes might seem like an unlikely draw for writers, artists and fashion types. The bar is nestled in an austere plaza behind a Key Foods grocery store, at the base of a 27-story residential building. The facade looks onto a courtyard it shares with a preschool and a diner. The interior is unassuming, with a dark wooden bar in the front and white tablecloths and red leather booths in the back. The bar's eponymous owner, Thomas Byrne, 70, can be found most evenings at a cluttered desk just inside the dining room or perched at a hightop near the entrance, keeping an eye on the scene. In a pinch, he pulls pints behind the bar. 'I am very hands-on,' said Mr. Byrne, who has a neat mustache and typically wears a button-down shirt tucked into black trousers. He commutes into the city daily from Yonkers, where he has lived for the last 32 years. 'I'm not saying I never take a day off, but I'm here a lot of the time, and I like that.' The youngest of three, Mr. Byrne immigrated from County Wicklow, Ireland, in 1972 to join his brothers in New York, where they made their livings working in bars. With his brother Seamus, he ran a pub on Fordham Road in the Bronx from 1975 to 1991. After they closed that spot, his brother Denis came across a vacant Chinese restaurant on Fulton Street. It needed some serious remodeling, but its sheer size and proximity to some of Manhattan's busiest office buildings made it too good to pass up. After months of construction, T.J. Byrnes opened its doors in October 1995. With the exception of a brief window during the city's Covid lockdowns, the pub has been open nearly every day for the last 30 years. 'People say, 'Oh, you're still here,'' Mr. Byrne said. 'We went through Sept. 11, we went through Sandy, the big storm and all that, and tough times. But you just hang in there, and it works out.' Mr. Byrne recalled finally getting through police barricades the day after the attacks on the twin towers to find the bar, helmed by his brother, teeming with people from the neighborhood. 'So many people came in here just to be together,' he said. 'People were in distress, and this was a meeting place to sit down and talk.' T.J. Byrnes has always had an eclectic clientele, he said. City workers from 100 Gold St. mingled with musical theater students from Pace University. Office employees, retirees from St. Margaret's House apartment community and residents of Southbridge Towers sat shoulder to shoulder at the bar. But it seemed to take a specific confluence of events to get a more artsy crowd in the door. It might have started in 2022, when the writer Ezra Marcus sang the bar's praises in the Perfectly Imperfect recommendation newsletter. 'Byrnes is a holdout against the mass extinction of normal places for normal people to get a drink in the city,' Mr. Marcus, an occasional contributor to The New York Times, wrote. A couple months later, Joshua Citarella, an artist in New York who researches online subcultures, called T.J. Byrnes the 'new Forlini's' in an article for Artnet, likening it to the red-sauce restaurant that had unexpectedly become a downtown cool-kid haunt in the years before it shuttered. At the same time, the micro-neighborhood a few blocks from Forlini's known as Dimes Square was becoming overexposed and — with the arrival of an opulent boutique hotel and fine dining establishments — a bit too upscale for some. 'It just has a better vibe,' Mr. Citarella said on a recent evening at T.J. Byrnes, where he was hosting a reading group with the author Mike Pepi. 'With the transformation of downtown New York, everything has turned into condos; it doesn't feel like anything is authentic or is here to stay.' The South Street Seaport area that surrounds T.J. Byrnes has undergone its own changes. Once a gritty neighborhood celebrated by the writer Joseph Mitchell for its fish markets, the district has been transformed over the decades, most recently by large real estate investments, new shopping destinations and independent art galleries like Dunkunsthalle, located in an old Dunkin' Donuts on Fulton Street. When McNally Jackson Books opened its Seaport location in 2019, making it a hub for literary events, T.J. Byrnes became a favorite post-reading spot. Jeremy Gordon, a senior editor at The Atlantic, was introduced to the bar after one of those McNally Jackson events. He took to it right away. Although T.J. Byrnes is unusually spacious for the city — another point in its favor — he described it as 'beautifully cozy.' When his debut novel, 'See Friendship,' was published this month, he decided to throw a book party there. With a lineup of readers and an open bar, Mr. Gordon invited around 60 of his friends to fete his book. The crowd sipped vodka sodas and hung out in the 'many little pockets' of the space, which includes a large dining room and a side area that's more tucked away. 'It is the type of place that I hope continues to exist for as long as I live in the city,' he said. For some, it is a necessary counterbalance to fussy bars and restaurants that cater to the TikTok crowd or to those seeking experiences behind red ropes. 'I don't want a concept,' said Alex Hartman, who runs the satirical meme account 'Nolita Dirtbag,' railing against what he sees as a trend of bars spending exorbitantly on interior design that panders to the downtown creative class. People are 'protesting this sort of aesthetic lifestyle,' he added. With reasonably priced bars in short supply and a surge of private clubs taking over nightlife, T.J. Byrnes, with its lack of pretense, is an antidote. 'It's the anti-members club,' Ms. Sundberg said. 'There's this huge cohort of New York City who wants to get into this locked, password protected, paywall door — and then T.J. Byrnes is right there.' Mr. Byrne keeps track of his bar's events and parties by hand, in a hardcover planner. Many people looking to entertain there simply text him to reserve the space — no fee or bar minimum required. 'I like the people that come here for the artist group,' Mr. Byrne said. 'They're really nice to deal with and enjoy the place, and we enjoy having them here.' During readings, he often listens from a spot toward the back. On a recent Friday night, the furniture designer Mike Ruiz Serra celebrated his 28th birthday at T.J. Byrnes with about 100 friends. His guests downed pints of Guinness, sipped martinis and Negronis, and ordered classic bar fare like mozzarella sticks. Away from the party, Andy Velez was closing his tab. Mr. Velez, who works for the City of New York in data communications, has been coming to T.J. Byrnes after work for 17 years, usually a few times a week. 'This is my 'Cheers,'' he said. Even when the crowd started to swell, as it was then, Mr. Velez said that the bar was almost never too loud to have a conversation. 'This is a very special place, a staple of the community,' he said. 'Only people in the neighborhood really know about this.'
