The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee announced its suspension by the university on social media Tuesday, claiming it had been placed on an “illegitimate and retroactive probation.” The university has confirmed the suspension to The Boston Globe, describing the committee as the leading pro-Palestinian student group on Harvard’s campus.
As per an Instagram post announcing the suspension, the committee has faced “unprecedented repression” during its protests against the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.” An email obtained by The Harvard Crimson, the university’s student-run newspaper, reveals that the school instructed the committee to “cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term” or risk expulsion. The committee maintains that the suspension will not silence calls for Harvard to divest from “apartheid, occupation, and genocide.”
The suspension is part of a trend of rising pro-Palestinian sentiment on college campuses, marked by student demonstrations and encampments to show solidarity with protesters arrested at Columbia University last week. Since Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israel in October, college campuses have become increasingly tense and volatile. The attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and approximately 250 hostages. In response, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.
Colleges and universities are facing the challenge of balancing campus safety with free speech rights amidst intense student debates and protests. Several institutions that tolerated protests and disruptions for months are now resorting to harsher disciplinary measures. Recent campus crackdowns on student protesters have included suspensions and even expulsions.
In response to the protests, the American Civil Liberties Union has urged schools to “show restraint.” Carol Rose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, emphasized the importance of protecting student demonstrations and encampments. She urged colleges and universities to resist external pressure to clamp down on student protests, particularly on contentious issues, and remain committed to upholding free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent on campus.
