The spirit of the 1960s anti-Vietnam War protests is alive and well on college campuses across the US as pro-Palestinian demonstrations gain momentum. Since April 18th, over 400 individuals have been arrested at various universities, starting with a demonstration at Columbia University in New York. This movement has since spread to campuses from California to Georgia, and from Boston to Florida.
Protests have been ongoing at Columbia University, Harvard, New York University, and UC Berkeley. Students are calling on their universities to sever ties with companies that do business with Israel, organizing encampments, sit-ins, and protests. Notable incidents include the removal of Noelle McAfee, the chair of the philosophy department at Emory University in Atlanta, and the presence of Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar at Columbia University. Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, was among the protesters who were cleared from the university by police last week.
The clashes between police and demonstrators have been intense at various universities including Emerson College in Atlanta, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin and in Washington DC. The students are determined to make their voices heard and bring attention to the ongoing conflict in Palestine. As these protests continue to gain traction, it will be interesting to see how universities respond to the calls for change.
