Students protest Baker Institute gala featuring Kissinger, Clinton
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Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton and James Baker. Photos: Daniel Vogl, Noam Galai and David J. Phillip/Getty Images
Three former U.S. secretaries of state will talk international relations at the Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy's 30th-anniversary gala tonight — but not everybody on campus is onboard.
Driving the news: Henry Kissinger, James Baker and Hillary Clinton will speak with panel host Norah O'Donnell, anchor of CBS Evening News, on their experiences as high-ranking government officials and their thoughts on current events unfolding across the globe.
- About 1,000 people are expected to attend in person. The event will also be livestreamed.
What they're saying: U.S. relations with Russia and China will be at the center of the discussions, Baker Institute director and former ambassador David Satterfield told Axios last month.
- "This is not a history lesson," Satterfield said. "This is a discussion of how the United States, today, should manage [and] deal with the challenges posed by, in particular, these two countries."
- Of note: Satterfield spoke with Axios before the developments in Israel and Gaza.
Between the lines: The conflict unfolding in the Middle East will likely be discussed by all three.
- Kissinger, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, told German newspaper Die Welt this month that talks of peace between Israel and Hamas are "inconceivable" if "terrorists can appear openly and take hostages and kill people," per Business Insider.
Student opposition
Meanwhile, some students and faculty are opposing the gala and the appearance of the former secretaries of state.
- Much of the criticism stems from the inclusion of Kissinger, 100, who is known for his involvement in shaping U.S. foreign policy during the Nixon administration as the U.S. continued the Vietnam War.
Details: This week, there was an anti-war teach-in at Rice protesting the gala. There is also a petition calling for the event to be canceled that has garnered 300 signatures, as well as a protest at the university slated for tonight during the gala.
- At the teach-in, which more than 100 students, teachers and community activists attended, there were presentations on America's history and involvement in war, how Kissinger has been involved, and the effects of the violence in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
The big picture: The gala comes as student groups are protesting U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- Rice students, alongside University of Houston students and the local Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, have organized several pro-Palestinian demonstrations where thousands have called for a ceasefire and demanded an end to U.S. funding for Israel.
What they're saying: Erica Augenstein, a history Ph.D. candidate at Rice who helped organize the teach-in, tells Axios that there is a disconnect between U.S. policy in the Middle East and the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and students will "have to break down the existing systems of American imperialism in order to allow that public sentiment to reflect in how policymakers are actually acting."
The other side: Baker Institute spokesperson Shannon Moriarty said officials chose Kissinger, Baker and Clinton to offer recognizable voices from both parties.
- "Our goal is to present a serious, compelling program," Moriarty said. "Combined, this group offers insights from 50-plus years of policy experience — going as far back as Kissinger's service in the Nixon White House."
The Baker Institute said in a statement that people have a right to express their views in a civil matter.
- "Both Rice University and the Baker Institute take pride in our openness to discourse and welcome the expression of different points of view," per Moriarty.