Pro-Palestinian protests surge at US colleges amid walkouts, crackdown
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Following the crackdown on pro-Palestinian students by police encouraged by elite US universities, protests intensify across campuses.
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NYPD officers stand by after detaining demonstrators and clearing an encampment set up by pro-Palestinian students and protesters on the campus of New York University (AFP via Getty Images)
Amid increasing protests against "Israel's" genocide in Gaza, hundreds of students from prestigious US universities face off against administrators and security forces despite mass arrests and disciplinary measures.
At New York University on Monday evening, police intervened as protests grew, making arrests shortly after 8:30 pm. The university urged students to disperse the protests, citing "intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents," leading to police intervention.
Universities that have set up Gaza solidarity camps so far ( that I know of):
— Charlie from the river to the sea 🇵🇸 تشارلي ديبه (@IMDibe) April 22, 2024
Barnard
UC Berkeley
Columbia
Emerson
U of Maryland
U of Michigan
MIT
The New School
NYU
Rutgers
Tufts
Vanderbilt
Washington U
Yale
Please add any that I missed
At Yale University, approximately 45 student protesters were arrested and charged with misdemeanors and trespassing after around 200 pro-Palestine demonstrators camped out on Beinecke Plaza for three days. The protesters urged Yale to cease any investments in defense companies doing business with "Israel".
Meanwhile, at Columbia University, the administration shifted classes online on Monday due to ongoing protests. Hundreds of students had set up encampments on campus since the previous week, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, criticizing the Biden administration's support for "Israel", and calling for Columbia to divest its financial connections with "Israel" in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.
On Monday, #Columbia President Nemat Minouche Shafik announced that classes would be held remotely, which was then followed by the arrest and suspension of more than 100 students in what the university deemed an "unauthorized" demonstration.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 23, 2024
In response, hundreds of faculty… pic.twitter.com/gGIZzPSfPg
In the same context, Harvard Yard restricted public access on Monday, requiring prior permission for structures like tents and tables and checking for school IDs.
NYU law student Byul Yoon criticized the university's decision to allow police arrests on campus. Universities nationwide, including Berkeley and MIT, are experiencing heightened tensions and protests due to ongoing anger over the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The protests mark a fresh focal point in US universities, where demonstrations have persisted and were intensified following administrative decisions to involve law enforcement in dispersing sit-ins.
Weaponization of anti-Semitism
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at US universities faced predictable accusations of anti-Semitism amid their protests.
In this context, US President Joe Biden has denounced the "antisemitic protests" and "those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians."
Students congregated in Yale’s Beinecke Plaza have been issued an ultimatum to disperse the protests by the weekend's end. Authorities reiterated their warnings to protesters on Monday morning, cautioning them of potential arrest and disciplinary actions, including suspension, before law enforcement intervened.
A pro-Israel woman went to Yale University looking to record a video proof of "antisemitic behavior" by students camping in solidarity with Gaza, yet no one gives her any attention. pic.twitter.com/lwaqoiYdLc
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 23, 2024
Following Monday's arrests at Yale, a significant number of demonstrators reconvened and obstructed a street near the campus, as confirmed by Officer Christian Bruckhart, a spokesperson for the New Haven police.
The recent wave of turmoil started when students at Columbia University set up a camp on the same day that its President, Minouche Shafik, faced harsh scrutiny during a congressional hearing. Republicans accused her of not adequately addressing "antisemitism" on campus.
Yale University students stage a street occupation outside the campus, defiantly painting a ground mural in response to police threats of arrest. pic.twitter.com/0eey4oyx5o
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 22, 2024
This event followed the resignations of two other Ivy League presidents several months earlier, who were heavily criticized for their testimonies before the same committee.
In a related development, the Director of Al Mayadeen's office in Washington affirmed that an intensive media campaign is ongoing, aiming to associate the university solidarity movement with Palestine in the United States with "antisemitism".
In summary, US universities, instead of upholding their students' rights to peaceful protest and fostering an environment conducive to First Amendment-protected discourse, succumbed to pressure from affluent donors and congressional members. They opted for cracking down on student demonstrators.
