University campuses across the United States, including Columbia and UC Berkeley, are witnessing a wave of student protests demanding severance of ties with Israeli academic institutions and advocating for Gaza.
Student protests in solidarity with Gaza are currently surging across university campuses in the United States, reminiscent of the historical protests of 1968. These students are calling for their universities to sever ties with Israeli academic institutions and to address the conflict in Gaza.
At Columbia University in New York, where the initial protest began with the pitching of a tent, the campaign has quickly gathered momentum. Similar movements are reported at the University of California, Berkeley, where protesters have established a tent encampment dubbed the ‘Free Palestine Camp’. Activists there have made specific demands including the condemnation of violence in Gaza, divestment from entities involved in the conflict, the boycotting of Israeli universities, and the establishment of a permanent Palestinian studies program.
The involvement of faculty has been notable across these protests, with instances of faculty arrests during demonstrations at Emory University, and vocal demands for student amnesty at Columbia University. University administrations have been criticised for their responses, with particular backlash at Columbia for involving the NYPD in clearing student encampments, and at the University of Southern California, which cancelled graduation ceremonies due to the protests.
The ongoing student-faculty demonstrations have spread nationally and internationally, tapping into a wider sentiment of solidarity with Gaza and reflecting broader social justice concerns on college campuses. This movement is particularly significant given the proximity to important events such as the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, suggesting these protests could influence broader political and social discussions in the near future.
