Hundreds of students at Emerson College in Boston filled a small alleyway, already lined with Palestinian flags and other symbols of support for the movement, to demand that the college sever ties with Israel. The protests are part of a growing movement of college campuses across the United States in solidarity with Palestine. The students at Emerson College have set up an encampment in the alleyway, where they are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the college to disclose all of its financial ties to Israel. They have been joined by supporters from other universities, including MIT and Harvard. The protests have been peaceful, but Emerson College officials have warned students that they may face disciplinary action if they continue to violate city ordinances.
One of the student organizers, Owen Buxton, said that the college has become a spearhead for the movement in Boston. He was one of a dozen Emerson students arrested protesting outside President Jay Bernhardt’s inauguration last month. Buxton said that the experience was traumatizing, but he would do it five times over if it meant liberation for Palestine.
“There are children being run over by tanks. There are children being shot in the head and buried,” he said. “No one cares.”
The student organization has made repeated attempts to meet with Bernhardt to get him to address their demands, but they have been unsuccessful. Buxton said that the students will not back down until their demands are met.
“We will not back down until we get our demands met,” he said. “Or until I am dragged out of here.”
The protests have been met with some criticism, with some accusing the students of being antisemitic. However, Buxton and other student organizers have denied these accusations.
“It is my mission that I want to explain to everybody who feels unsafe that this is not antisemitic,” Buxton said. “Look at everything on our walls. There’s nothing but peace and love and anger about slaughtering children, which I think is justified.”
The protests are likely to continue in the coming days and weeks. The students at Emerson College are determined to make their voices heard and to demand that the college take action to support Palestine.
