Beginning on Wednesday afternoon, an advertisement truck demanding the firing of Cornell history professor Russell Rickford began driving around campus. Rickford has come under fire for his Sunday evening comments that called the Hamas attacks in Israel “exhilarating” and “energizing.”
The truck bore messages including “President Pollack: Fire antisemitic professor Rickford now!” and “Murder, Rape, Kidnapping” referencing the Hamas attacks in Israel two weekends ago. The truck also included images of Professor Rickford and further demands for the university to condemn him and his remarks.
The truck was sponsored by an organization called “Alums for Campus Fairness,” an alumni group that opposes antisemitism on college campuses. The group has also sponsored mobile billboards at NYU and Columbia, among other colleges.
The mobile billboard comes after a denunciation of Professor Rickford by Cornell president Martha Pollack and “senior leadership of the Board of Trustees,” who called his comments “reprehensible” and that they “demonstrates no regard whatsoever for humanity.” Pollack continued: “any members of our community who have made such statements do not speak for Cornell; in fact, they speak in direct opposition to all we stand for at Cornell.”
The Review has contacted the history department leadership regarding the status of Professor Rickford, but they declined to comment beyond the university’s Tuesday statement.
Friday counterprotest
The situation escalated on Friday morning, as the mobile billboard attracted a following of counter protestors. Constituted of students of the Cornell Progressives – whose faculty advisor is Professor Rickford – and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the crowd followed the advertisement truck shouting various pro-Palestine slogans.
The crowd carried signs protesting the “doxxing” of Rickford and protesting the Cornell administration’s statements. Other signs included: “Martha u [sic] can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide.” The crowd also chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates as they become available.
