The University of Southern California has cancelled a scheduled commencement speech by Asna Tabassum, citing unnamed security concerns after her selection as valedictorian was met with a wave of online attacks directed at her pro-Palestinian views.
“I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university - my home for four years - has abandoned me,” Tabassum said in a statement shared online.
On 6 April, USC announced that Tabassum was selected as valedictorian, a student with the highest academic achievements in her year, for the graduating class of 2024.
After the announcement was published on social media, Tabassum began receiving online attacks from an account named, “We Are Tov”, a group that describes itself as “dedicated to combating antisemitism”.
The university released a statement on Monday, saying that Tabassum would retain her position as valedictorian, but would not be allowed to give her commencement speech. The school said that the move was made to maintain safety on campus.
Oh those aren’t the instances you block?
…Yes. I do block Hexbear. That’s not what I was stumped by.
I mean the community is pretty clearly astroturfed, as otherwise no such group could exist while fundamentally contradicting itself. Being gay and supporting Putin just does not make any rational sense. For all their talk of CIA psy ops left and right, I can’t help but see a pot calling the kettle black.
…There are people of every kind that support fascists. There are black people and gay people and poor people and women that support Trump, too.
And I would argue that support for Trump is clearly astroturfed, also. Reddit basically nurtured the community leading up to and throughout his presidency, then it spread from there.