The protests against Israel’s war with Hamas have escalated significantly across the United States. Students at various universities have established encampments and occupied buildings, defying requests to disperse. This movement gained traction after the arrest of over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University. Similar protests have erupted at New York University, Yale University, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.
Universities are facing a challenging task in balancing safety with free speech rights. Some institutions, like Harvard University, have taken measures to limit protests by locking gates and restricting access. However, students argue that the spaces on campus should be available for expressing their views.
Student Leo Auerbach from the University of Michigan expressed concerns about hateful rhetoric and antisemitic sentiment but emphasized the need for constructive dialogue to promote inclusivity. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, protesters are calling for the university to sever research ties with Israel’s ministry of defense.
The University of California, Berkeley, also has an encampment with around 30 tents. Law student Malak Afaneh expressed solidarity with the Columbia protesters and emphasized support for the Palestinian people.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik expressed sadness over the campus situation, where some Jewish students have faced antisemitism due to criticism of Israel. Robert Kraft, who funded a Jewish student center across from Columbia, has suspended donations to the university until corrective action is taken.
These campus protests began following Hamas’s attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel responded with military actions that led to the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.
