Pro-Palestinian US students demand Kyle Rittenhouse be expelled from university

Four left wing students groups have issued a list of demands in which they refer to Rittenhouse as a “racist murderer.”

By Donna Rachel Edmunds, World Israel News

Several left wing students groups at Arizona State university including Students for Justice in Palestine have called on the university’s administrators to expel Kyle Rittenhouse, calling him a “violent blood-thirsty murderer.”

Rittenhouse, 18, was found in court to have acted in self-defense when he shot and killed two white men and wounded a third during race riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020, after they chased him down, beat him to the ground, and attacked him.

But Students for Justice in Palestine, Arizona State University Students for Socialism, Multicultural Solidarity Coalition, and MECHA de ASU have rejected the jury’s decision. They have written to the administrators demanding that he be expelled to make the campus “safe”, and are holding a demonstration on the campus grounds Wednesday to make their demands heard.

Students for Socialism ASU, which describes itself as “a socialist, revolutionary Marxist club” whose “mission is to end capitalism, and fight for socialism,” posted an advertisement for the rally on Twitter Friday, in which they accused Rittenhouse of being a “racist murderer”.

The tweet included a list of demands, foremost of which was that Rittenhouse be excluded from the school. The groups also demanded that the school administrators release a statement in condemnation of both white supremacy and of Rittenhouse himself, who they describe as a “racist murderer.”

Additionally, the students demanded that a multicultural center be created on campus “as a safe space from white supremacy,” and that funds be diverted from the campus police department to fund the center.

“Even with a not-guilty verdict from a flawed “justice” system – Kyle Rittenhouse is still guilty to his victims and the families of those victims,” the groups stated, adding a call to students to “Join us to demand from ASU that these demands be met to protect students from a violent, blood-thirsty murderer.”

In a separate statement released Monday evening, the four groups said: “The danger Kyle Rittenhouse presents is not just as person on campus, representing the violence marginalized people face every day, but the racist and fascist right-wing elements that he will bring on campus.”

A Students for Socialism at Arizona State University spokesperson told Fox News “The goal of these demands is to let the ASU administration know that we as the ASU community do not feel safe knowing that a mass shooter, who has expressed violent intentions about ‘protecting property’ over people, is so carelessly allowed to be admitted to the school at all.”

They added: “Our campus is already unsafe as is, and we would like to abate this danger as much as possible.”

The protest Wednesday may attract a large number of students. Some 10,000 students at the university have already signed a petition on Change.org demanding Rittenhouse be excluded from the university.

“We, the students of Arizona State University refuse to welcome a murderer onto our campus. ASU should be a safe and inclusive place for all students, which will be disrupted if Kyle Rittenhouse is allowed to attend this school,” the petition reads in part.

University spokesperson Jay Thorne told The State Press that Rittenhouse is “not currently enrolled in classes at ASU.” He had taken classes as a non-degree-seeking student through ASU Online, but had sought and been granted “compassionate withdrawal” in light of the court case, planning to resume his classes next semester.

Speaking to Tucker Carlson following his acquittal, Rittenhouse said he had planned to return to campus to pursue nursing as a career, although in light of events he was now considering law as an alternative.