At New York University, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police after the latter intervened to dismantle an anti-Israel “liberated zone,” aggravating tensions amid growing anti-Gaza war demonstrations on university campuses across the country. throughout the United States after the invasion of the Hamas terrorist group on October 7.
This incident is not isolated, but part of a series of events that have taken place at institutions such as Yale, the University of Southern California and Harvard, Columbia and Ohio State, where students have expressed their rejection of Israel’s actions in Gaza , demanding their universities to disassociate themselves from investments in that country.
Yale University witnessed a similar protest, which culminated in the arrest of several students when police entered the campus. In this climate of protests, a pro-Israel student was injured, prompting widespread condemnation and calls for calm from political and academic figures. “Inciting hatred and violence towards Jewish students and members of the community… is completely unacceptable,” said Representative Rosa DeLauro, who has also called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a nationwide group, has been particularly active, launching an initiative called “People’s University for Gaza” to pressure educational institutions to cut ties with Israel. “Over the past 72 hours, SJP chapters across the country have erupted in a fierce display of power,” they posted on a social media platform, highlighting the magnitude and scope of their actions.
The institutional response has been varied. For one, the NYU administration warned the crowd before calling the police, resulting in arrests and riot charges. Separately, the University of Southern California canceled all scheduled commencement speakers, suggesting an attempt to defuse tensions or at least avoid confrontations.
The reactions have not been limited to the academic field. US President Joe Biden condemned the growth of anti-Semitism in the protests, although he also called for understanding the situation of the Palestinians, a position that shows the complexity of the emotions and perspectives at play.
“I condemn anti-Semitic protests. That is why I have created a program to address that,” declared Biden, highlighting government action against this phenomenon.
These events have exacerbated divisions, not only among students but also within broader communities, creating a climate of confrontation that has resulted in physical and verbal violence. Jewish community leaders at Yale described the events as “perhaps the most divisive and most terrifying moment” they have witnessed, marking the depth of the divides that these protests have revealed or, arguably, exacerbated.
In this complex and charged context, voices from diverse sectors call for deeper understanding and constructive solutions that address both the immediate concerns on campuses and the fundamental issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These protests are, without a doubt, a reflection of the broader echo of global tensions but also a wake-up call to the need for dialogue and mutual understanding.
A Yale University spokesperson said the center made the decision to arrest those who did not leave the square “with the safety of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities” to all members of the university. student community.
The Yale Police Department issued citations in total to 47 people, including Yale undergraduates, graduates and professionals, or people unaffiliated with the center.
The students, the spokesperson said, will be referred to Yale for “disciplinary measures, including a variety of sanctions, such as reprimand, probation or suspension.”
Before taking this step, the spokesperson explained, the university had notified protesters on numerous occasions that if they continued to violate Yale policies and instructions regarding the occupation of outdoor spaces, they could face police and disciplinary action.
The arrests came after members of the Yale Police Department isolated the area and asked protesters to show identification. Some left voluntarily but others remained at the scene and were detained.
“Yale provides detailed guidance on free speech, peaceful assembly, and requesting the use of outdoor spaces on campus. Since the protest began, the university and the Yale Police Department have worked to reduce the likelihood of confrontations and arrests,” the spokesperson notes.
Yale Police Chief Anthony Campbell told the Yale Daily News – the nation’s oldest university newspaper, which has been financially and editorially independent since its founding in 1878 – that those arrested were charged with criminal trespassing, after They were asked on several occasions to vacate the area.
According to the newspaper, more than 250 protesters set up a camp on Sunday night, for the third consecutive time, in Beinecke Plaza, with about forty tents.
Pro-Palestinian protesters call on Yale to disclose and divest its involvement in military weapons manufacturing.
University President Peter Salovey sent an email to the Yale community on Sunday and warned that disciplinary action would be taken in accordance with the school’s policies.
Tensions at many American universities have increased in recent weeks, as controversy grows over freedom of expression in educational centers.
At Columbia University in New York, a hundred students calling for an end to the war in Gaza were arrested last week and many of them were suspended indefinitely.
This Monday he announced that classes will be taught remotely, on the day the Jewish Passover is celebrated, due to safety concerns for some Jewish students.
A group of New York University (NYU) students are under police surveillance this Monday after setting up camp in support of Columbia University students arrested last Thursday for demonstrating against the war in Gaza.
Academic authorities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University (Rhode Island), and New York University took similarly punitive measures against students involved in protests.
At the end of March, Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) suspended fifteen students and expelled three others, who occupied the rector’s office for several hours.
Last week, the University of Southern California suspended Muslim student Asna Tabassum’s commencement speech due to tensions between students and faculty linked to the war in Gaza.
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