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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson, Member of the Public
2:27:53
ยท
127 sec
Christopher Leon Johnson testified about freedom of speech in relation to CUNY organizations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He advocated for maintaining CUNY funding regardless of student organizations' political stances, while also expressing support for Israel.
- Called for the release of Mahmoud Khalil and warned about potential similar actions against CUNY student activists
- Criticized some council members for hypocrisy in their stance on free speech
- Urged for continued funding of CUNY despite controversies surrounding student organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Within Our Lifetime
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:27:53
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson.
2:27:56
First, I wanna say the Free Mahmoud Khalil.
2:27:59
I know this is Columbia related and Bernard related so it's not nothing to with CUNY.
2:28:04
But the reason I wanna bring this up because we all know that there's a there's two organizations that are affiliated with CUNY, which is called Within Our Lifetime and Students for Justice in Palestine, SJP or CUNY for Palestine on Twitter and x and on and Instagram, CUNY for Palestine.
2:28:23
If this could happen to Mamouk Khalil, this could happen to anybody that is part of CUNY for Palestine and within a lifetime too.
2:28:30
Myself, I support Israel.
2:28:32
I support Israel a %.
2:28:34
Israel had the right to exist, but the same time that nobody should be getting the freedom of speech oppressed and their freedom of speech, being arrested for saying what they wanna say about Israel or Palestine.
2:28:47
If you support Palestine, support Israel, you shouldn't be getting arrested by the FBI or by any government agency because of that.
2:28:55
I I know that there's a few council members in this progressive caucus that are calling for his calling for his release, but some of them are the biggest hypocrites because they weaponized the city council sergeant arms to remove anybody that don't say what they wanna hear like council member Youssef Salaam and council member Samson.
Eric Dinowitz
2:29:13
I'm sorry.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:29:13
It's on topic.
Eric Dinowitz
2:29:14
It's on topic.
2:29:15
This is the the budget hearing?
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:29:17
I know the budget hearing but
Eric Dinowitz
2:29:18
Thank you.
2:29:18
Wanna make sure we're staying on topic.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:29:19
I know.
2:29:20
It's on it's on topic.
Akkeem Polack
2:29:21
But at
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:29:21
the same time, I'm calling for more funding into CUNY to make sure that CUNY stays funded despite the fact that SJP and within a lifetime is Sarkuni, it's America, they had the right to say they wanna say just at the same time as the Jewish organization had the right to say they gotta say about defending Israel.
2:29:40
No school should be defunded.
2:29:41
No school should be threatened with their budget be cut because they say something about Palestine, supported Palestine, or they support Hamas, or they support the JDL, or they support Jewish related causes.
2:29:52
Nobody should be they they budget on fund they cut.
2:29:55
So that's all I gotta say.
2:29:56
Thank you.
2:29:57
Free Mamoukhalil.
2:29:57
Free Mamoukhalil.
2:29:58
Thank you.
2:30:00
Thank you.