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Pro-Palestinian students at several outstanding Boston-area schools spent Sunday night in tents after greater than 100 Columbia University students were arrested last week for participating in an analogous demonstration.
Since Monday evening, dozens of protesters at MIT, Tufts University and Emerson College have occupied outdoor areas on or near campuses to demand the colleges cut ties with Israeli corporations and the military and demand a ceasefire within the Israel-Hamas war to advertise.
More than 100 students were arrested at Columbia University on Thursday as administrators called New York police to clear about 50 tents that had been arrange earlier within the week. Hundreds of Columbia professors and college members left their positions Monday to protest against the arrestsand classes at the varsity moved to online classes as a result of rising tensions.
On Friday, students from Boston University, MIT and Harvard University participated Strikes and protests in support of the arrested Columbia students.
The demonstrations at Boston schools are a part of a nationwide wave of protests on college campuses sparked by the arrests. On Monday, about 50 students were arrested at Yale and police were called to the scene at a warehouse at New York University.
Students want MIT to withdraw from Israel
Dozens of MIT students went into tents Sunday evening to protest Israel's actions in Gaza and stand alongside Columbia students, organizers said. About a dozen tents and a big Palestinian flag were arrange on the lawn Monday evening for chants, speeches and prayers.
Hannah Didehbani, an organizer with the MIT Coalition for Palestine, said 30 to 40 people were sleeping on the university's Kresge Lawn near Massachusetts Avenue on Sunday evening. Members of the camp, which they call the “Scientists Against Genocide Camp,” plan to remain on the lawn “for a while.”
“By establishing this camp, we are following in Colombia’s footsteps,” said Didehbani. “We saw them face very harsh repression from both university leadership and the NYPD, which is crazy.”
The Anti-Genocide Scholars listed their demands on an indication on a tent and wrote: “We refuse to dedicate our workforce to genocide.” We refuse to present space to genocide on this campus. We remain in unwavering solidarity with Palestine. We is not going to rest until MIT breaks off relations with IOF (Israel).”
The camp at MIT is specifically protesting the $11 million in research funding the varsity receives from Israel that’s creating underwater surveillance and robotics technology, the group said.
“At MIT, we really focus on the direct research relationships we have with the Israeli Ministry of Defense,” Didehbani said. “Because MIT is a technology school, we are in a very unique position because there are projects that are directly harming families in Palestine in many ways.”
Didehbani said although police were stationed throughout the night, there have been no aggressive interactions between students and officers. On Monday night, at the least eight cops circled the lawn, which was partially surrounded by metal barricades.
In an announcement, the university said police would proceed to be present.
“MIT officials are aware of the tents and are determining next steps, with a focus on ensuring the campus is physically safe and fully operational,” a spokesperson said.
MIT Jews who’re campaigning for a ceasefire are represented within the tents, the group said on X. MIT The location of the Seder for MIT students celebrating Passover was reportedly moved from nearby Hillel to an unknown location, but Jews for Ceasefire is holding a seder on the camp.
Emerson students occupy the Boylston Place alley
Emerson students arrange tents within the Boylston Place alley on campus Sunday evening. On Monday afternoon, the alley was abuzz with activity as demonstrators chanted “Free Palestine” and held signs at the road entrance to protest against the war.
“We are here as concerned students who see what is happening — not just on our campus, but in schools across the country,” said Leila, a student protester who asked not to make use of her last name for fear of retaliation.
About 100 students gathered Sunday evening to open the camp and about 50 stayed overnight, said Ana Feder, a faculty worker who said she supported the demonstration.
Emerson said in a single opinion Sunday that the group organizing the encampment – Emerson Students for Justice in Palestine – is just not affiliated with the university and that the administration is working with Boston police to “monitor the situation.”
“Boylston Place Alley is not solely owned by Emerson College, it is subject to a public right-of-way for access to non-Emerson buildings, including the State Transportation Center, and is a fire alley under the jurisdiction of the Boston Police Department. said university President Jay Bernhardt in Sunday's message to the Emerson community.
Boston Police Department spokesman John Boyle said police were monitoring the protest and there had been no arrests as of Monday evening.
Leila said the Emerson protesters' demands are consistent with those of other pro-Palestinian student groups setting up camps, including demanding that Emerson cut off “all financial ties with Israel,” calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and disciplinary action recruits students against him.
Feder, director of film exhibitions and festival programs at Emerson and a member of the school's Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine group, said she joined the demonstration in the alley along with about a dozen other faculty and staff. Feder remained there Sunday night and plans to stay Monday night, when the risk of arrests is higher, she said.
“The message from the administration was loud and clear that it had stopped the police from arresting students [Sunday] night, but that they couldn’t do that indefinitely,” Feder said.
Last month, 13 Emerson College students were arrested while protesting the varsity's “silence” on the Israel-Hamas war before Bernhardt's inauguration. A student who took part within the demonstration last month and identified himself on the camp as Cole said the protests continued because the varsity “failed to meet the demands.”
Leila said she doesn't worry about the implications of the varsity or the police “as long as we have the power of the people.”
Bernhardt said that while the varsity encourages peaceful protests, it “does not tolerate actions that threaten safety, operations or access to education.”
According to the varsity, there are about half a dozen Tufts tents
Tufts students were also there Sunday evening, organising camp on the Academic Quad on the Green in Medford. According to a post on InstagramThe group is demanding that its university divest its financial interests from Israel and drop all charges against protesting students, in addition to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Patrick Collins, a spokesman for Tufts, said Monday evening that there have been about six tents and protesters and that the protest didn’t disrupt any classes. He said the varsity was continuing to watch the “low number of tents on a section of the school site”.
“While students are allowed to express their opinions, including demonstrations on campus, we will hold accountable any community members who engage in behavior that violates university policies,” Collins said. “As far as the scholars’ demands are concerned, our position has been clear and consistent for several years: We don’t support the BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions] Movement.”
Harvard is trying to stop camps before they arise
Although no student camps had been set up at Harvard as of Monday evening, the college has restricted access to Harvard Yard through Friday in anticipation of student protests reported. Over 200 demonstrators gathered in the yard on Friday in response to student arrests at Columbia.
Harvard too exposed The organization launched its Palestine Student Solidarity Committee on Monday and said members could face expulsion if events organized by the group were not canceled for the remainder of the semester, the report reported. The school cited the group's failure to officially register the demonstration on Friday as the reason for the suspension.
Harvard did not respond to a request for comment on student protests and the closure of Harvard Yard.
image credit : www.boston.com