Eleven students are disciplined for disrupting Israeli pianist’s recital
mainThe Berlin-based pianist Yossi Reshef was jostled and heckled by students at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg when he tried to give a recital there last March. The university offered a limited apology.
Now, 11 students have been sentenced to community service for their part in the riot, a gentle rap on the knuckles. Read on here.
“A gentle wrap on the knuckes?” Below is the real punishment handed down to them (which was accepted by the The South Africa Jewish Board of Deputies — for some reason they were involved.):
In a decision handed down last week by an independent advocate, 10 of the students were excluded from the university for one year, suspended provided that they are not found guilty of other misconduct for two years. The students cannot hold office in student government for one year and must perform 80 hours of community service.
One of the students also must perform an additional 50 hours of community service for not obeying a lawful instruction from a university employee.
“a gentle rap on the knuckles” : so how many years of prison with hard labour should they have been given? I object to any disruption which amounts to interference with an artistic performance or sports event, as the freedom to demonstrate one’s views can easily be exercised outside the relevant venue, but 80 hours’ community service and a year’s exclusion from the university (suspended providing there is no other misconduct) hardly represent just “a gentle rap on the knuckles”.