Protests intensify across US with Harvard University students raising Palestinian flag on campus
Protests intensified across college and university campuses in the United States Monday with anti-Israeli protesters flying a Palestinian flag in a spot usually reserved for the American flag at Harvard University, its student-led newspaper, Harvard Crimson, reported.
“A group of three protesters hoisted the (Palestinian) flags over the John Harvard statue in the Yard, where the University sometimes flies the American flag or flags of the countries of visiting foreign dignitaries,” the report said.
Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L Swain has called the hoisting of the flags “a violation of University policy” and said that “individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action.”
Brown University's student protesters, administrators reach deal to clear encampment
Officials and students at Brown University on Tuesday reached a deal over the ongoing protest in the campus. The protesting students agreed to dismantle their encampment on the campus. In exchange, university leaders committed to discussing and ultimately voting on divesting funds from companies associated with the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
In a statement, Brown president Christina Paxson said students had agreed to end their protests and clear their camp by 5 p.m. local time Tuesday and “refrain from further actions that would violate Brown’s conduct code through the end of the academic year.”
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The board will vote on the proposal in October.
As a part of the agreement, the university also agreed not to expel or suspend students or faculty members, based on what the University knows about their participation at this time.
“No member of the Brown community—including faculty, staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, or alumni—found to have been involved in the encampment or related activity will face retaliation from the University, including termination of employment or reduction in compensation,” the agrrement reads.
Columbia University president explains why police were called
Columbia University’s president released a statement to members of the college community outlining why she called in police the night before.
Nemat Shafik said protesters taking over an administration building on campus early Tuesday was a “drastic escalation” of the encampment at the college, which “pushed the University to the brink, creating a disruptive environment for everyone and raising safety risks to an intolerable level.”
Shafik, who goes by Minouche, acknowledged the school has a “long and proud” history of activism on campus, but argued those occupying the building committed “acts of destruction, not political speech.”“I know I speak for many members of our community in saying that this turn of events has filled me with deep sadness. I am sorry we reached this point,” she wrote. (AP)
4 officers injured removing protesters at University of Wisconsin in Madison
Campus police spokesperson Marc Lovicott said four officers were injured as police tried to remove protesters’ tents from a central square at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Lovicott said a state trooper was hit in the head with a skateboard and three sheriff’s deputies suffered injuries “directly related to the physical resistance from protesters.”
At least a dozen people were arrested. Police removed all but one tent while clashing with the demonstrators. But scores of protesters resumed chanting and, a few hours later, had erected more tents on the square. Lovicott said police plan to continue monitoring the protests. (AP)
UCLA cancels classes for the day after overnight clashes
Classes have been cancelled at the University of California, Los Angeles.UCLA announced the class cancelation on the social media site X, stating: “Due to the distress caused by the violence that took place on Royce Quad late last night and early this morning, all classes are cancelled today. Please avoid the Royce Quad area.”
The clashes at UCLA took place around a tent encampment built by pro-Palestinian protesters. Counter protesters tried to pull down a line of parade barricades, plywood and wooden pallets at the edge of the camp.
Israel supporters attack pro-Palestinian camp in LA, 300 Gaza protesters arrested in New York
Supporters of Israel attacked a pro-Palestinian protest camp at the University of California in Los Angeles, while New York's mayor said a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University broken up by police had been led by outsiders.
Witness footage from UCLA, verified by Reuters, showed people wielding sticks or poles to hammer on wooden boards being used as makeshift barricades to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters before police were deployed to the campus.
On the other side of the country, New York police arrested pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed up in a building at Columbia University and removed a protest encampment on Tuesday night. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said about 300 people had been arrested and he blamed the protests on outside agitators, but without offering concrete evidence. (Reuters)
Protesters clash at UCLA after police clear pro-Palestinian demonstrators from Columbia University
Dueling groups of protesters clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. Hours earlier, police carrying riot shields burst into a building at Columbia University that pro-Palestinian protesters took over and broke up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school while inspiring others.
After a couple of hours of scuffles between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators at UCLA, police wearing helmets and face shields formed lines and slowly separated the groups. That appeared to quell the violence.
Police have swept through campuses across the U.S. over the last two weeks in response to protests calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies that support the war in Gaza. There have been confrontations and more than 1,000 arrests. In rarer instances, university officials and protest leaders struck agreements to restrict the disruption to campus life and upcoming commencement ceremonies.
The clashes at UCLA took place around a tent encampment built by pro-Palestinian protesters, who erected barricades and plywood for protection — while counter-protesters tried to pull them down. (AP)
Student protesters reach a deal with Northwestern University that sparks criticism from all sides
Tuesday morning the grassy Deering Meadow on Northwestern's suburban Chicago campus was silent after student organizers and the school announced an agreement late Monday to curb protest activity — in return for a new advisory committee on university investments and other commitments, news agency AP reported.
Some who are protesting the war in Gaza condemned the agreement as a failure to stick to the original demands of student organizers. Some supporters of Israel said the deal represented "cowardly" capitulation to protesters, according to the AP report.
According to the report, “this agreement represents a sustainable and de-escalated path forward, and enhances the safety of all members of the Northwestern community while providing space for free expression that complies with University rules and policies,” said a statement attributed to President Michael Schill, Provost Kathleen Hagerty and Vice President for Student Affairs Susan Davis.
The American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League Midwest were among critics of the Northwestern administrators, arguing that the deal “succumbed to the demands of a mob” and did little to make Jewish students on campus feel more secure, the AP report said.
Around the country, protest organizers at US universities say they're building a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.
“We have seen incredible momentum grow in support of our movement in these past few days and will not let it go to waste,” a post on the NU Divestment Coalition's Instagram read. “We consider this to be a prime moment to take stock, recharge, plan, and build power. But we have much work ahead of us and we will not stop now.” Eden Melles, a graduate student among the Northwestern protest organizers, said Tuesday that reestablishing an advisory committee is “huge" but she also understands criticism of the agreement.
“We're not letting up pressure on Northwestern because there are people on this campus who feel unsafe, have felt unsafe for years, and disclosure is not going to make them feel safe,” Melles said. “That's not going to fix the problems that this university has cultivated.” She said organizers on each campus have to make their own decisions when negotiating with administrators, not follow an exact model created by another school. (AP)
Watch: Students take over Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, rename it as ‘Hind’s Hall’ in honor of Gaza victim
Students protesting against the raging war in Gaza took over Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall shortly after midnight on Tuesday, prompting the college authorities to call in the New York Police.
The phrase,”Dispose. Divest. We will not stop. We will not rest” was visible in video footage as students joined hands in front of the Hamilton Hall.
Watch here.
Troubled by law enforcement actions against protesters at US universities: Top UN human rights official
The United Nation's top human rights official has voiced concern over “heavy-handed steps” taken to disperse and dismantle pro-Palestinian protests across university campuses in the US, just hours before the New York Police Department arrested and cleared protesters at the prestigious Columbia University, news agency PTI reported.
Dozens were arrested Tuesday after Columbia University called in police to end the pro-Palestinian occupation on the New York campus, news agency AP reported. The demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall more than 12 hours earlier, spreading their reach from an encampment on the grounds.
“Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are fundamental to society – particularly when there is sharp disagreement on major issues, as there are about the conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Tuesday.
About protests around US campus and the subsequent arrests, the UN agency said, “Hundreds of students have been arrested. Many have subsequently been released, while others still face charges or academic sanctions."
“Actions taken by university authorities and law enforcement officials to restrict such expression need to be carefully scrutinised, to ensure such measures go no further than what is demonstrably necessary to protect the rights and freedoms of others, or for another legitimate aim such as maintenance of public health or order,” Turk said.
“I am concerned that some of the law enforcement actions across a series of universities appear disproportionate in their impacts,” he added. (PTI)
What are the demands of the protesters?
According to news agency PTI, the demands of the students vary from campus to campus. It includes:
– Stop doing business with military weapons manufacturers that are supplying arms to Israel.
– Stop accepting research money from Israel for projects that aid the country’s military efforts.
– Stop investing college endowments with money managers who profit from Israeli companies or contractors.
– Be more transparent about what money is received from Israel and what it’s used for.
How are students protesting across US colleges?
Watch | NYC Police enter Columbia University campus, arrests pro-Palestinian protesters
On Tuesday night, New York City police officers entered Columbia University's grounds, reportedly to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters. Despite an ultimatum issued on Monday, warning of potential suspension for encampment refusal, protesters remained steadfast.
Reports indicate that police subsequently detained some demonstrators, marking an escalation in tensions at the university.
Police clears pro-Palestine protesters from Columbia University
Dozens were arrested Tuesday after Columbia University called in police to end the pro-Palestinian occupation on the New York campus, news agency AP reported.
The demonstrators had occupied Hamilton Hall more than 12 hours earlier, spreading their reach from an encampment on the grounds.
Before officers entered the campus, the New York Police Department received a notice from Columbia authorising officers to take action, a law enforcement official told the news agency. Read the full story here.
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