Russia’s participation in the upcoming Paris Olympics has been significantly reduced as numerous athletes have refused to compete under the IOC’s stringent conditions, which include competing as neutrals without their national symbols. While 36 Russian athletes were initially cleared, only 16 remain on the official list due to the boycott. The athletes’ decision stems from their belief that the restrictions are discriminatory and undermine Russian national pride.
Over 100 people were arrested last week at Columbia University’s campus where students protested against the Israel-Hamas war. Similar encampments and protests have since sprouted up at universities like UC Berkeley, Cal Poly Humboldt, UCLA, Harvard, USC, Yale, NYU, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Texas at Austin. Student activists are demanding an end to US military aid to Israel, a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, and for their universities to sign on to the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.
A student encampment at UC Berkeley has grown to include 40 tents, with students demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the boycott and divestment of companies that profit from the colonization of Palestine. The encampment is a reflection of the growing awareness among students about the oppression faced by Palestinians and the need for solidarity.
Inspired by protests against Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, students at numerous U.S. colleges are setting up encampments and demanding that their schools cease business with Israel and companies supporting its military operations. The students’ demands include halting investments with arms manufacturers, research collaborations aiding Israeli military efforts, and partnerships with Israeli companies or contractors. Despite university officials expressing concerns about potential antisemitism, students remain determined, citing the suffering in Gaza and the need for greater transparency in university investments.
Anti-Israel protests have spread beyond Columbia University to other elite schools and campuses around the country, with campuses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York reporting protests and occupations by student groups. One protest at Yale University resulted in the arrest of at least 47 protesters.
Inspired by the Columbia University campus occupation, protest encampments have emerged on at least eight American universities demanding divestment and support for Palestine. The encampments, which started on Wednesday, have been established at Yale University, University of Michigan, New York University, The New School, Tufts University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emerson College, and Rutgers University.
