The recent wave of anti-Israel protests on American university campuses has intensified, with demonstrations at Harvard University resulting in the Palestinian flag being raised over the John Harvard statue in Harvard Yard, a symbolic location typically reserved for the American flag. Since the mass arrests at Columbia University on April 18, nearly 900 arrests have been made across the country in connection with these protests.
At Harvard University, the Palestinian flags were flown as a result of ongoing agitation by pro-Palestine demonstrators on campus. Despite efforts by Harvard Yard Operations employees to remove the flags, protesters continued to chant slogans such as “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
In Los Angeles, clashes between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protesters occurred at the University of California, Los Angeles, with reports of demonstrators tearing down barriers erected by the school to separate the two groups.
At George Washington University in Washington, DC, students set up tents in protest, chanting “Free Palestine” and displaying Palestinian flags as a show of solidarity. In Gaza, Palestinian students expressed gratitude to US college campuses for their support, organizing a display of solidarity at a refugee camp in Rafah.
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Reports of vandalism on the University of Southern California campus have also emerged, with university officials attributing the damage to individuals associated with the ongoing protests. Regarding the demonstrations, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby stated that while President Biden recognizes the strong feelings involved, local authorities will manage the situation.
Tufts University in Massachusetts called for an end to the protest encampment to ensure a peaceful commencement ceremony, while negotiations between student protesters and administrators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have reached a stalemate.
At Columbia University, pro-Palestinian protests have continued for two weeks, with no arrests reported over the past weekend. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell condemned the protests, highlighting concerns about antisemitism.
