The ongoing protests against the war in Gaza have caused a wave of demonstrations and occupations on over 60 American campuses, resulting in the arrest of over 2,000 people since mid-April. Images of police in riot gear clearing out Columbia and UCLA have circulated worldwide, as protests have also spread to universities in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East.
Pro-Palestine protests have been taking place at universities across Australia since the start of the Gaza war. Tensions between students who are in solidarity with Palestinians and those supporting Israel have been rising at the University of Queensland. Students for Palestine UQ is calling on university leaders to disclose any relationships they may have with Israeli companies and cut ties with the Israeli arms industry. Similar protests have taken place at other Australian universities, including Sydney University.
In France, protests at Sciences Po and Sorbonne universities have led to police interventions that cleared out camps set up by protesters. In India, solidarity movements were expressed by the Students’ Federation of India.
In Canada, pro-Palestine students at McGill University in Montreal set up an encampment on campus demanding that McGill sever ties with Israeli companies. Similar protests are ongoing at universities in Toronto and Vancouver. In Lebanon, students at American University Beirut are demanding a boycott of companies doing business with Israel.
Overall, these global protests against the war in Gaza continue to spread solidarity movements across campuses around the world for the Palestinian cause.
