Tensions Flare at US Universities Over Gaza Protests
Pro-Palestinian student protesters clashed with school administrators at several U.S. universities, leading to the cancellation of in-person classes and the arrest of demonstrators. The protests, which started at Columbia University with the establishment of a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” have now spread to other campuses like Yale, MIT, and more.
University president Nemat Shafik made the decision to move classes online on April 22, calling for a “reset” in an open letter to the school community. However, tensions escalated when over 100 protesters were arrested after police were called onto the private campus, leading to a larger turnout over the weekend.
Mimi Elias, a social work student who was arrested, stated, “We are going to stay until they talk to us and listen to our demands.” Meanwhile, Joseph Howley, an associate professor at Columbia, criticized the involvement of police, saying it attracted “more radical elements that are not part of our student protests.”
As the Jewish holiday of Passover began, images on social media showed pro-Palestinian Jewish students holding traditional seder meals inside protest areas on multiple campuses. At New York University, police detained protesters who had set up their own encampment, while at Yale, at least 47 people were arrested for refusing to disperse.
Harvard University even suspended the Palestinian Solidarity Committee, according to the student group’s Instagram post. The situation remains tense as both sides stand firm in their beliefs and demands.