Harvard and MIT warn protesters of potential suspension if they do not leave

Harvard and MIT have taken a firm stance against students protesting the war in Gaza, threatening suspension for those who refuse to end their campus occupations and remove their tents. The universities cited safety concerns and disruption to the educational environment as reasons for their actions.

At Harvard, interim President Alan M. Garber warned students that those who continue the encampment will be referred for involuntary leave from their schools. Similarly, MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave student protesters a deadline to remove their encampment on the Kresge lawn or face consequences.

Despite the warnings, some students remained defiant. At MIT, police erected guard posts around the encampment, but protesters pushed down the fencing and retook the field. Quinn Perian, an MIT student, criticized the university for not cutting ties with Israel and accused them of supporting the genocide in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian activists and high school students joined the protests, showing solidarity with the students facing disciplinary actions. At Harvard, protesters organized a rally to voice their demands for the university to divest from companies tied to Israel.

The threat of suspension has sparked debate among academics, with some believing it will lead to the dispersal of protesters. However, others argue that academic sanctions can have more severe consequences than arrests, affecting students’ academic futures and their families’ investments in their education.

The situation remains tense as students continue to defy the universities’ warnings, standing firm in their protest against the war in Gaza.